Last night I received several inquiries about how the Richmond City Jail accommodates our Muslim residents during Ramadan.
Each year during Ramadan, Chaplains at the Richmond City Jail work diligently alongside our deputies to help identify individuals who wish to participate in our program.
The Richmond City Jail Ramadan Program coordinates the jail’s dining hall schedule to make the necessary allowances for the fasting requirements of our Muslim population. It allows them to fast during daylight hours and eat after sundown and before sunrise, even if all others on their tier are on a “regular” schedule. Both Nation of Islam and Sunni Muslim residents participate.
How it works:
Shift deputies pull the participants from the jail’s general population and escort them to the Dining Hall to eat before sun comes up every morning during the month. Similar accommodations are made every evening after the sun goes down.
In the high custody end of the jail, food is delivered to those residents before sunrise, and again after the sunset.
In total, right now, there are less than 100 participants in this program. However, that number can rise or fall based on the number of new commitments to the jail, transfers to and from other jurisdictions, transfers to DOC, and served sentence releases.
The RCJ Ramadan program begins on Monday, August 1, 2011 and will continue for 30 days.
Major Jerry Baldwin, Richmond Sheriff’s Office
