Recognize Anniversary of "Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act" and Prison Fellowship.

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To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) England, Frazier

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 529

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS 1
LIBERTY PROTECTIONS FOR INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE 2
RELIGIOUS LAND USE AND INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS ACT OF 2000 3
(RLUIPA) ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY AND RECOGNIZING 4
THE FAITH-BASED REHABILITATION CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PRISON 5
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY. 6
WHEREAS, the First Amendment to the United States 7
Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion, and these 8
protections do not end at the prison gate; and 9
WHEREAS, RLUIPA ensures that individuals in prisons, jails, 10
and other institutions receiving federal funds are not subjected 11
to unjustified burdens on their religious exercise; and 12
WHEREAS, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons 13
Act, now in its 25th year, affirms the fundamental right of 14
individuals who are incarcerated to freely exercise their faith 15
while in custody; and 16
WHEREAS, under RLUIPA, governments may not impose a 17
substantial burden on an incarcerated individual's religious 18
exercise unless they can demonstrate that it furthers a compelling 19
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governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of doing 20
so; and 21
WHEREAS, the Supreme Court has consistently upheld RLUIPA's 22
constitutionality and importance in cases including Cutter v. 23
Wilkinson (2005), Holt v. Hobbs (2015), Dunn v. Smith (2021), and 24
Ramirez v. Collier (2022), reaffirming that religious liberty 25
protections extend to incarcerated persons; and 26
WHEREAS, faith practice in correctional settings fosters 27
personal accountability, improved mental health, and successful 28
reentry into society, thereby promoting safer prisons and reducing 29
recidivism; and 30
WHEREAS, Prison Fellowship, founded in 1976 by the late 31
Charles Colson following his personal conversion and strengthened 32
faith during incarceration, has championed the religious liberty 33
of incarcerated individuals and actively supported the adoption 34
and defense of RLUIPA; and 35
WHEREAS, Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest Christian 36
nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, 37
annually reaching more than 600,000 individuals and supported by 38
more than 200,000 volunteers nationwide; and 39
WHEREAS, evaluations of Prison Fellowship's Academy program 40
by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Baylor University, 41
and the Minnesota Department of Corrections have shown significant 42
reductions in recidivism: over 60% for program participants, 43
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demonstrating the power of faith-informed programming to transform 44
lives; and 45
WHEREAS, Prison Fellowship will mark its 50th anniversary in 46
2026, continuing its mission to seek justice, love mercy, and 47
restore hope for men and women behind bars, and to ensure robust 48
opportunities for religious practice within prisons; and 49
WHEREAS, ongoing challenges such as correctional staffing 50
shortages, pandemic restrictions, and over-reliance on digital 51
access to religious content pose risks to the practice of faith 52
behind bars: 53
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 54
MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 55
we do hereby affirm our strong support for the protections for 56
incarcerated individuals guaranteed under the Religious Land Use 57
and Institutionalized Persons Act. 58
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we recognize the importance of 59
safeguarding the religious exercise of all incarcerated 60
individuals, regardless of faith tradition, as essential to 61
rehabilitation, constitutional fidelity, and public safety. 62
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we do hereby honor Prison 63
Fellowship on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary and commend its 64
decades of service in advancing restoration, rehabilitation, and 65
second chances through faith-based programs. 66
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage correctional 67
agencies within Mississippi to adopt policies and practices 68
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ST: Recognize Anniversary of "Religious Land
Use and Institutionalized Persons Act" and
Prison Fellowship.
consistent with both the letter and spirit of protections for 69
incarcerated individuals in RLUIPA, ensuring that faith-based and 70
volunteer-led programs remain accessible to those who seek them; 71
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 72
transmitted to the Governor, the Mississippi Commissioner of 73
Corrections, to each member of the state's congressional 74
delegation, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps. 75