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Lawsuit settled over meals for prisoners during Ramadan

Posted at 9:20 AM, Jan 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-12 09:20:20-05

DETROIT (AP) — The Michigan Corrections Department and Muslim prisoners have settled a lawsuit over meals served during the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a holy four-week period for Muslims, during which they eat only before sunrise and after sundown. Prisoners said they were victims of discrimination because non-Muslims were getting more than 1,000 additional calories during their three standard meals.

But since the lawsuit was filed in 2013, lawyers for the prisoners say the Corrections Department has increased the amount of food offered to Muslims during Ramadan.

Lena Masri, a lawyer with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, hopes the case gets noticed by prisons in other states.