An inmate with dreadlocks has sued the state Corrections Department, saying its grooming policy violates his right to religious freedom.
Larry Meggett, 54, described as a Hebrew Israelite/Nazarite, sued after authorities at the Mahanoy state prison turned down his request for an exemption to a rule limiting "Afro styles" of hair to no longer than four inches.
The department objected to the lawsuit, but Commonwealth Court President Judge James Gardner Colins ruled Wednesday that the case should go forward because Meggett may be able to prove that his right to practice his religion is being violated.
Colins said there may also be merit to Meggett's argument that the four-inch limit violates his due-process rights. Meggett said prison policy permits male hairstyles that do not fall below the top of the collar but bans Afros of longer than four inches without defining Afro-style hair, Colins said.
Meggett is serving a three- to six-year drug sentence out of Bucks County.