Section 425.60  Religious Activities

a)         Religious activities approved by the Chief Administrative Officer shall be conducted or supervised by a chaplain or religious program volunteer.

b)         The Chief Administrative Officer, after consultation with the facility chaplain, shall regulate the time, place, and manner in which religious activities are conducted.  The Chief Administrative Officer may limit, restrict, discontinue, or deny a religious activity based upon concerns regarding security, safety, rehabilitation, institutional order, space, or resources.

c)         Nothing in this Part shall require the provision of group religious activities to committed persons in impact incarceration program facilities, reception and classification centers, or in segregation areas, the condemned unit, or  specialized housing units within the facility, such as the hospital.

d)         Nothing in this Part shall require the Department to provide each separate religious group or sects within a group with a chaplain or with separate religious activities regardless of the size of the religious group or the extent of the demand for the activities.

e)         Committed persons shall be prohibited from assuming a position of authority or leadership over other committed persons.  This does not preclude committed persons from actively participating in religious activities.

f)         Religious activities for which religious program volunteers or chaplains of that particular faith are unavailable on a permanent or protracted basis may be permitted if the following conditions are satisfied:

1)         The committed persons submit written verification to the facility chaplain that they attempted to locate and secure the services of religious leaders or faith representatives from the community and that such persons refused or were not approved to conduct religious activities;

2)         Security, program, or chaplaincy staff are available to attend and supervise the religious activity;

3)         Written verification that attendance at existing religious activities does not satisfy the recognized tenets of their faith is received;

4)         Written agreement by a chaplain, faith representative, or recognized religious leader of that faith group to provide general oversight and guidance of the religious activity is received;

5)         The Religious Practice Advisory Board recommends approval; and

6)         The committed person submits a copy of any proposed sermon or doctrinal interpretation to the Chief Administrative Officer or staff designated to supervise the religious activity for review and approval prior to delivery, based on safety and security concerns.

g)         The staff supervisor may call upon various committed persons to guide portions of the religious activity subject to safety and security concerns.

h)         Religious activities defined under subsection (f) of this Section shall be prohibited where based solely on the temporary or occasional unavailability of a chaplain or a religious program volunteer.

i)          The Chief Administrative Officer may limit, restrict, or discontinue religious activities permitted under subsection (f) of this Section based upon concerns such as security, safety, rehabilitation, institutional order, space, or resources and may require periodic rotation of committed persons permitted to guide portions of religious activities.

(Source:  Added at 19 Ill. Reg. 6515, effective May 1, 1995)