QUESTION PRESENTED:

I. Whether the Arkansas Department of Corrections’ no beard grooming policy violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).

II. Whether a ½ inch beard would satisfy the security goals sought by the policy.

III. Whether the no beard grooming policy violates Petitioner’s First Amendment right to practice Islam as he believes it is supposed to be practiced by the wearing of the beard.

IV. That the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has decided that the no beard grooming policy does not violate the RLUIPA, but this Court should decide the matter since it has not done so and should rule whether grooming policies of any Department of Correction that do not allow for a religious exception exemption are constitutional.

V. That the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit’s decision in this case conflicts with other circuit’s rulings on the matter.

VI. That the ADC grooming policy of no beards is not the least restrictive means of achieving the desired objective of staunching the flow of contraband and identifying prisoners in the event of an escape.

Merit Briefs

• Brief for Petitioner, Gregory Houston Holt A/K/A Abdul Maalik Muhammad
• Brief for Respondents, Ray Hobbs, et al.
• Reply Brief for the Petitioner, Gregory Houston Holt A/K/A Abdul Maalik Muhammad

Amicus Briefs

• Brief for Alliance Defending Freedom in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for American Jewish Committee, Union for Reform Judaism, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Women of Reform Judaism, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Anti-Defamation League, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Muslim Advocates, the Queens Federation of Churches, and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Dr. Ronald L. Akers, Dr. Byron R. Johnson, and Dr. Sung Joon Jang in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Former Corrections Officials John Clark, Justin Jones, Chase Riveland, Phil Stanley and Eldon Vail in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Former Prison Wardens in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Jewish Prisoner Services International, Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, and General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Islamic Law Scholars in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the National Congress of American Indians and HUY in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs (“COLPA”), Et Al., in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Prison Fellowship Ministries, World Vision, National Association of Evangelicals, and Christian Legal Society in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Reformed Prisoners Jesse Wiese, Nicholas Robbins, Thomas C. Cotton III, Ernst Fenelon Jr. & Scott Greenberg in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Rutherford Institute in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the Sikh Coalition and Muslim Public Affairs Council in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for the United States in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Women’s Prison Association in Support of Petitioner
• Brief for Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming in Support of Respondents