Perhaps the should also provide him with 15 yo virgins?
hey, that sounds like a great idea...where do I sign up?
if the prison is gonna deny anybody their religious rights, the prison has to AT LEAST (please see footnote below) demonstrate several things first,
viz, per the Turner v. Safley case (which many of us believe to be far too restrictive of religious rights...):
1. Is there a valid connection between the regulation restricting a religious practice and a legitimate correctional interest?
2. Are inmates allowed other ways of exercising their right?
3. How much will allowing the inmates to exercise their right affect others in the correctional facility?
4. Are there available alternatives that accommodate both interests?
-————note: denying a person his Bible would patently flunk this test at the very first stage, No. 1 above.
footnote: The court overruled (on other grounds) a subsequent law (the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act of 1993) which had restored or expanded religious rights beyond the level recognized by the Turner case, above. Since then, we have another law (the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000), seeking to further restore or expand religious rights beyond the Turner standard, above.
But at any event, denying someone his Bible is clearly violative of both the Constitution and the Turner standard, such as it is. A prisoner reading his Bible by himself causes no burden nor threat to the prison system. (Indeed, imho anyway, reading the Good News could do some good...)
Best,
fhc