SpearIt 
Muslim Prisoner Litigation 
An Unsung American Tradition

Since the early 1960s, incarcerated Muslims have used legal action to establish their rights to religious freedom behind bars and improve the conditions of their incarceration. Inspired by Islamic principles of justice and equality, these efforts have played a critical role in safeguarding the civil rights not only of imprisoned Muslims but of all those confined to carceral settings. In this sweeping book­­—the first to examine this history in depth—Spear It writes a missing chapter in the history of Islam in America while illuminating new perspectives on the role of religious expression and experience in the courtroom.

Tabla de materias

Contents


Acknowledgments 

Abbreviations 


Introduction 

1. At the Intersection of Religion and Punishment 

2. Islam in American Prisons 

3. The Struggle to Be Recognized by Prisons 

4. Fighting for Religious Rights 

5. Holding Prisons Accountable 

6. Muslim Litigiosity 

7. Conclusions and Final Thoughts 


Notes 

Bibliography 

Index

Sobre el autor

Spear It is Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and author of American Prisons: A Critical Primer on Culture and Conversion to Islam.