Millions of people across North America will experience a rare total solar eclipse on April 8. Unlike the previous total solar eclipse in 2017, this year’s 115-mile-wide path of totality will pass through parts of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 2024 eclipse will allow Americans in 13 states to see the sky go completely dark in the middle of the day. The next total solar eclipse in the United States will occur in 2044.
Inmates in New York have filed a lawsuit seeking the right to observe the eclipse
Given the rarity of this phenomenon, inmates in New York have filed a lawsuit seeking the right to observe the eclipse. The lawsuit comes after the state corrections department’s announcement in March that “there will be no incarcerated movement in facilities from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and incarcerated individuals will remain in housing units except for emergency situations.”
The complaint was filed on Friday by six Woodbourne Correctional Facility inmates from various religious backgrounds. The plaintiffs claim that the prison lockdown on April 8 violates their constitutional freedom to practice their faith by prohibiting them from attending a religiously significant event. “A solar eclipse is a rare, natural phenomenon with great religious significance to many,” the lawsuit states, according to The Guardian.
It adds that the rare event, which was last seen in 2017 and will not be seen again until 2044, is “a religious event that they must witness and reflect on to observe their faiths” and “warrant[s] gathering, celebration, worship, and prayer.” The plaintiffs include a Baptist, a Muslim, a Seventh-Day Adventist, two Santería practitioners, and an atheist.
According to the lawsuit, the remaining plaintiffs similarly requested permission to view the rare event on religious grounds but were either denied since the solar eclipse is not recognized as a holy occasion or never received a response. Inmates also said that the lockdown hours are often used for outdoor activities. The lawsuit goes on to state that no similar lockdown was implemented during the 2017 eclipse.