Inmates at a New York prison are suing for the right to witness the solar eclipse that is expected on April 8.
Six inmates at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in New York have filed a challenge against rules which would prevent them from witnessing the rare event.
In March, a statewide memorandum was sent out to all Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) facilities regarding the duration of the eclipse on April 8. It states, "there will be no incarcerated movement in facilities from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and incarcarated individuals will remain in housing units except for emergency situations."
In other words, prisoners may not witness the eclipse.
The eclipse will start over the skies of Texas, moving northeast across the U.S. through the Midwest and New England, exiting over Maine. About 32 million people live within the path of the eclipse—which will pass over 13 U.S. states, including New York—and a further 1 million to 5 million are expected to travel to watch it.
The inmates taking the case against Woodbourne argue that the eclipse is "a religious event that they must witness and reflect on to observe their faiths." They identify variously as Christians, Muslims, and even atheists. They argue that the statewide prison lockdown is a denial of their statutory and constitutional rights to practice their faith.
In a filing submitted last Friday, the inmates also argue that the afternoon hours are usually a time for outdoor recreation, that no lockdown was in place during the last solar eclipse of 2017, and that they made adequate requests to have this event recognized as far back as January.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Thomas Mailey, a spokesperson for the DOCCS, said the agency takes all requests for religious accommodations under consideration. Whether or not this can be resolved in less than a week is unclear.
Chris McArdle, an attorney representing the inmates, told Newsweek: "Many religions recognize the significance of this historic eclipse, and we are advocating for everyone's right to observe it. The state's refusal to recognize religious freedoms casts a dark shadow on us all."
While eclipses come and go in various forms, Monday's event is indeed a rare occurrence.
Brian Lada, an AccuWeather astronomy expert, previously told Newsweek: "You definitely want to be looking at the sky on April 8th because if you miss the solar eclipse this year, you have to wait two decades until the next chance to see a total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States."
The eclipse is expected to cast temporary darkness over more than a dozen U.S. cities during the middle of the day, beginning just after midday in the south of the country. Those in the "path of totality" will experience dark skies for several minutes as the moon blocks the light path of the sun.
This article has been updated to include comment from attorney Chris McArdle.
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