Roger Elam v. J. D. Henderson, Warden, U. S. Penitentiary, Atlanta, Georgia

This case is brought by inmates of the federal penitentiary in Atlanta and involves an allegation that these petitioners, all black Muslims, are being deprived of their constitutional right to practice their religion by the prison authorities. The district court dismissed the inmates’ petition holding that no substantial allegations of deprivation of the constitutional right to the free exercise of religion were presented. After careful consideration, we affirm.

Federal courts will, of course, closely scrutinize the constitutional claims of prisoners raising racial or religious discrimination.…