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SCOTUS to decide if prison guards are liable for shaving Rastafarian man’s dreadlocks | National

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2 months ago

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Caroline Boda | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-23 14:08:00


The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Damon Landor, a former Louisiana inmate who sued prison officers for shaving his dreadlocks, violating his Rastafarian religious rights. The key issue is whether government employees can be sued individually under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which a lower court denied. Landor showed officers a 2017 ruling protecting dreadlocks, but they disregarded it. The Trump administration supports Landor’s case. The Court will hear it in October. Additionally, the Court declined to review the case of Mississippi death row inmate Richard Jordan, scheduled for execution this week.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday decided to consider a case in which a Rastafarian inmate is suing intake officers for shaving his dreadlocks in violation of his religious rights.

The case of former Louisiana inmate Damon Landor will determine if a government employee, rather than the government entity they are employed by, can be held liable for damages relating to a religious liberty lawsuit.

While a lower court condemned the actions of the prison guards, it determined that Landor could not sue them for damages because the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) did not allow for the guards to be sued as individuals.

Weeks away from completing his five-month sentence for drug possession in 2020, Landor was transferred to a different prison. When intake officers attempted to shave his dreadlocks, Landor showed them a copy of a 2017 appeals court ruling that permitted prisoners to keep their dreadlocks. 

The prison officers threw the paper in a trash can and proceeded in shaving the dreadlocks Landor had been growing for 20 years in accordance with his Rastafari faith.

In support of Landor, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to take up the case.

It is the latest in a slew of religious rights cases that have caught the eye of the justices. If the court rules in Landor’s favor, this will set a future precedent to allow for inmates to sue government officials as individuals under ​​RLUIPA.

Landor’s case will be heard during the court’s next term beginning in October.

The nation’s top court also decided on Monday that it would not review the case of a Mississippi man who is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday.

Richard Jordan has been on death row for 48 years for the kidnapping and murder of Edwina Marter. Jordan maintains that his post-traumatic stress disorder, a result of his time serving in Vietnam, was a factor in his actions. 

The Supreme Court has still not released decisions for 10 cases in the current term. The most notable of these includes a ruling on President Donald Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship.

The court is expected to decide on the remaining cases by early July at the latest.

• Caroline Boda is an intern reporter and member of the 2025 Searle Freedom Trust and Young America’s Foundation National Journalism Center Apprentice and Internship initiative. 

The post SCOTUS to decide if prison guards are liable for shaving Rastafarian man’s dreadlocks | National appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article primarily reports on legal actions and Supreme Court decisions involving religious rights and criminal justice without using loaded language or editorializing. It presents facts about the Rastafarian inmate’s lawsuit and its legal implications, as well as other court decisions, maintaining a neutral tone. Although it mentions the Trump administration’s support for the case, this is stated as a factual detail rather than an endorsement or critique. The content does not promote a specific ideological viewpoint but rather reports on ongoing judicial matters, adhering to neutral, factual reporting.

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Mississippi News Video

Report: Average projected tax cuts are lowest in Mississippi | Mississippi

Published

5 days ago

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August 18, 2025

By

www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-18 14:23:00


A Tax Foundation report estimates Mississippi residents will save an average of $2,400 in tax cuts due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4. The law, the most significant federal tax change since 2017, makes permanent individual tax changes, expands child tax credits, and enhances deductions. Job growth of over 4,800 is forecasted long-term. County savings vary, with Madison County seeing the highest average cut at $4,583 and Jefferson County the lowest at $1,212. Mississippi’s average tax cut is below the national average of $3,752, decreasing slightly from 2026 to 2029.

(The Center Square) – An estimated $2,400 in tax cut savings is projected on average for Mississippi residents, a report from The Tax Foundation says.

Long range, more than 4,800 jobs are forecast to be added in the state as well, says the international nonprofit research organization publishing studies on American tax policies. The report was done in response to the July 4 signing of House Resolution 1, known also as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

County by county, the figures vary.

For the state, the average decreases slightly from $2,400 in 2026 to $2,334 in 2027, $2,315 in 2028, and $1,835 in 2029.

No state has a smaller amount in 2026. The average nationally is $3,752, said The Tax Foundation report.

The new law is said to be the most significant changes to federal tax policy since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The law championed by second-term Republican President Donald Trump makes permanent individual tax changes from 2017. It also has deductions for tipped and overtime income, expanded child tax credit and standard deductions, and makes permanent 100% bonus depreciation and domestic research and development expensing.

The largest amount in a county in Mississippi is Madison County’s $4,583. Jefferson County, at $1,212, is the smallest.

The post Report: Average projected tax cuts are lowest in Mississippi | Mississippi appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article primarily reports on the tax cut effects of a recently signed federal law using data from The Tax Foundation, an external research organization. It neutrally presents estimated savings for Mississippi residents, projected job growth, and county-by-county variances without using charged or evaluative language that promotes a specific political viewpoint. The mention of the law being “championed by…President Donald Trump” is factual, not laudatory or critical, and the details about the law’s provisions are descriptive. Overall, the tone and framing adhere to neutral, factual reporting by focusing on the outcomes and data associated with the legislation rather than advocating for or against it, thereby not contributing a discernible ideological bias itself.

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Mississippi News Video

Hurricane Katrina: Mississippi Coliseum served as shelter for storm victims

Published

6 days ago

on

August 18, 2025

By

www.youtube.com – 16 WAPT News Jackson – 2025-08-18 07:04:42

SUMMARY: Families crowded metro-area shelters during Hurricane Katrina, overwhelming facilities like the Mississippi Coliseum and local churches. Shelter director Latt McInnis of Richland recalled how spaces meant for short stays became weeks-long refuges, exhausting volunteers. Some churches have since scaled back, while others, such as First United Methodist Church in Brandon, are expanding efforts. McInnis, now leading a metro shelter program, is planning for future storms. Jackson has been designated a high-risk city by the Red Cross, receiving more supplies and training volunteers. Still, McInnis stresses families must prepare themselves, as aid cannot cover everyone in another Katrina-level disaster.

16 WAPT News takes a look back at coverage of Hurricane Katrina a year after the storm devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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Mississippi News Video

Holiday Chateau Ridgeland

Published

1 week ago

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August 14, 2025

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www.youtube.com – WJTV 12 News – 2025-08-14 09:55:33

SUMMARY: Mary Ford, Sales Manager at Holiday Chateau in Ridgeland, describes the senior living community located on South Pear Orchard Road. The community focuses on helping seniors stay active, healthy, and socially engaged. Over the past two years, Holiday Chateau has undergone extensive renovations, updating common areas, rooms, and adding new amenities like a library, fitness area, game rooms, and activity spaces. Residents enjoy three daily meals prepared by a chef, weekly housekeeping, and a variety of activities including yoga, tai chi, art classes, and movie nights. The community also offers on-site physical therapy and hosts outside instructors. Contact: (601) 956-1331.

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