Across the United States, chaplains and religious directors are overwhelmed with ensuring equitable consideration for all religious requests. They face the conflict of "myth versus reality" regarding the role of the chaplain/religious director in corrections, the priority of religious practice balanced with security concerns, inconsistencies in accommodation, bias in space considerations, increased need for special diets, and the effects of agency and facility budgets.
This two-day live broadcast May. 28, 2014 - May. 29, 2014 (3-hours each day) addresses the conflict of “myth versus reality” regarding the role of the chaplain/religious director in corrections, the priority of religious practice balanced with security concerns, inconsistencies in accommodation, bias in space considerations, increased need for special diets, and the effects of agency and facility budgets.
Using a variety of methods, including on-air discussions and individual and group activities, the interactive broadcast will help participants: review the historical, Constitutional and legal foundations of offenders’ religious rights; determine strategies for responding to requests for religious accommodations, balanced with safety and security considerations; examine practical approaches for applying RLUIPA to satisfying offenders' religious requests; and explore the changing role and responsibilities of religious staff, volunteers, and other facility staff in a post-RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act) world.