Washington, DC – The Federal Bureau of Prisons clarified its policy allowing Sikh visitors to federal prisons to wear their religiously mandated turbans during security searches in response to concerns raised by Sikh American groups after a Sikh attorney was barred from visiting his client in a federal prison. Ravinder Singh Bhalla asserted his first amendment rights when he was asked to remove his turban after he had successfully passed through the metal detector without triggering the device at a Brooklyn, NY Federal Prison. Bhalla mobilized fellow attorneys and also contacted the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART) and the Sikh Coalition to successfully persuade the Federal Bureau of Prisons to clarify its policy allowing Sikh visitors to federal prisons to wear their religiously mandated turbans during security searches. The Sikh turban is a religiously mandated head-covering and its removal in public is regarded by Sikhs as akin to a public strip search. The Federal Bureau of Prisons recently reviewed its policy and notified all its institutions clarifying the policy regarding religious garment searches. Religious garments are only to be subjected to searches on a case-by case basis and only if there is reasonable suspicion for such a search, the bureau said. The bureau also said that when prisons conduct removal and inspection searches, the least invasive means to prevent contraband introduction will be employed. If the removal and inspection of any religious head covering is required, the search will be conducted in a private area by staff of the same gender. SMART and the Sikh Coalition said they are pleased with the bureau’s clarification of its policy and encourages the bureau to implement religious and cultural awareness training for federal prison employees.
