MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has filed a lawsuit demanding that Wisconsin corrections officials relax COVID-19 protocols and allow ministers to visit inmates.
Conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed the lawsuit Friday on behalf of the archdiocese in Jefferson County.
The lawsuit alleges that the Department of Corrections adopted a policy in March 2020 banning volunteer visits, preventing clergy from the archdiocese from meeting in person with inmates to provide spiritual guidance, communion, and penance.
The filing contends the policy violates a state law that grants clergy of all faiths weekly visits with inmates and inmates' freedom of religion. A corrections spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
