Muslim inmates awarded $667,000 in lawsuit over pepper spray used during prayer

Harun Nasrullah

A federal jury in the US has awarded $667,000 (£525,000) in damages to a group of Muslim men incarcerated in Missouri after prison guards pepper-sprayed them while they were praying.

The verdict was delivered on March 9 in the US District Court for eastern Missouri, following a lawsuit alleging that correctional officers used excessive force against the men and violated their constitutional right to practise their religion.

According to the complaint, the men had regularly been permitted to pray together in their housing unit after the prison chapel was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, on February 28, 2021, officers at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre intervened while the group was praying.

Eight men were handcuffed, pepper-sprayed and placed in solitary confinement following the incident.

The lawsuit stated that those confined in segregation at the 2,684-bed facility were denied access to soap or running water to wash off the pepper spray. Some reportedly resorted to using toilet water to rinse their faces.

Initially, the men were accused of committing a major conduct violation described as “acts of organised disobedience” involving three or more prisoners. The charge was later reduced to a minor violation. They were found guilty and released from segregation on March 10, 2021.

In 2023, the Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR) Legal Defense Fund and the Council on American‑Islamic Relations Missouri filed a civil lawsuit against Missouri correctional officers on behalf of the men. The legal action alleged that officers used excessive force, infringed the prisoners’ constitutional rights to religious practice, and showed deliberate indifference to their medical needs.

The jury ultimately ruled in favour of the men on all counts.

The Missouri Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.

“Being a Muslim in America should not lead to one being subjected to excessive force or religious persecution,” said Nadia Bayado, an attorney for the plaintiffs with the CAIR Legal Defense Fund. “I am overjoyed for our clients, and I hope this verdict brings them and their families solace.”