Food Fight: Oral Arguments Begin In Prison Kosher Case

The rights of Jewish prisoners to kosher meals in Texas correctional facilities are at the forefront of a court case that began Oct. 1. The Texas correctional system is one of the few state prison systems restricting access to kosher meals.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans heard oral arguments on Monday from lawyers representing Max Moussazadeh, an observant Jew in the Texas prison system. The lawyers argue that the restriction violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Although 35 states and the federal government provide Jewish inmates with a kosher diet, Texas has refused to provide a kosher diet to Moussazadeh, despite what his legal team cites as a minimal cost of less than 0.02% of its annual food budget.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP are representing Moussazadeh.