Group of Inmates Will Be Allowed to Watch Eclipse After Suing New York Prison on Religious Grounds

The inmates argued that the prison forbidding them from viewing the upcoming solar eclipse was a violation of their religious rights

A group of inmates who sued their New York state prison facility for not allowing them to view the upcoming solar eclipse will be allowed to view the phenomenon after all.

On April 4, the lawyers for six inmates at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility who sued the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for not being allowed to view the eclipse said that the department will allow them to view it, according to NBC News, CBS News and the Times-Union of Albany.

The inmates argued that the prison was violating their religious right to see the eclipse, which will take place during the afternoon on April 8.

"We are pleased that, in response to our lawsuit alleging religious discrimination, New York State has entered into a binding settlement agreement that will allow our six clients to view the solar eclipse in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs," lawyers Chris McArdle, Sharon Steinerman, and Madeline Byrd of Alston & Bird said in a statement to multiple outlets.

The lawsuit, which was withdrawn after the agreement was made, stated that prison officials announced that inmates would not be allowed outside to view the eclipse and that the facility would be operating on a holiday schedule that day, NBC reported. This would mean all inmates would have to remain in their cells at the time the eclipse is set to pass over New York — around 3:25 p.m., per NASA's eclipse map.

Related: All About the Rare Total Solar Eclipse, Including Where It Occurs and How to See It

The lawsuit cited texts such as the Bible and the Quran that reference eclipses as religious events and also asked for eclipse glasses — recommended by NASA for all those viewing the phenomenon — to be provided for the six inmates by the prison, per NBC.

"We continued our analysis and review during the pendency of the lawsuit," the corrections department said in a statement, according to multiple outlets. "The Department has agreed to permit the six individuals to view the eclipse."

The eclipse is expected to cause a few minutes of daytime darkness. Its exact timing depends on where viewers are located in North America, where the phenomenon will pass after it begins over the South Pacific ocean.

Related: Keeping Dogs and Cats Safe During an Eclipse: Expert Pet Advice on the Spring Solar Eclipse

"Weather permitting, the first location in continental North America that will experience totality is Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT," NASA writes of the phenomenon. It will then enter the U.S. in Texas.

Then, it travels through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Michigan and Tennessee. Those interested in experiencing the complete solar eclipse should look up exactly where in their state is within the path of totality.

After it makes its way over the U.S., the eclipse will enter Canada. It will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.

After the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the next total solar eclipse won’t occur for another 20 years. Per NASA, the next one visible in the United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

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