Al-Alamin V. Gramley

The plaintiffs, three Muslim inmates incarcerated at the Dixon Correctional Center (Dixon) in Dixon, Illinois, instituted this suit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, against various officers at Dixon and state officials for alleged deprivations of their religious freedoms as guaranteed by the first amendment. The plaintiffs sought damages as well as declaratory and injunctive relief. After a bench trial, the district court awarded plaintiffs one dollar in damages and further ordered Michael P. Lane, the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, to submit to the court statewide written guidelines concerning the accommodation of Muslim inmates desiring to practice their religion while incarcerated. The appellants filed a timely notice of appeal. For the following reasons, we reverse the judgment of the district court.