A filed lawsuit argues the constitutional and religious rights of prisoners are being violated by them being denied a view of the 'natural' event which will last just minutes - but will not be seen in the US again until the 2040s.
Prisoners in New York are suing the state corrections department over next week's total solar eclipse - demanding they be allowed to watch the 'rare phenomenon'. A lockdown of prisons has been ordered by the state corrections department for the same day as the eclipse on 8 April. It means incarcerated individuals will remain in their housing units from 2pm to 5pm, which are the normal hours for outdoor recreation in prisons, according to a lawsuit.
The lawsuit states one of the named plaintiffs, an atheist, received special permission last month to view the eclipse using glasses provided by the state - but that decision was made before the announcement of the lockdown at the prison. Four of the other plaintiffs subsequently sought permission but were denied by officials who ruled the solar eclipse is not listed as a holy day for their religions, the lawsuit states. A sixth inmate said he never received a response.
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