New York Court of Appeals
In the Matter of David Griffin, Appellant v. Thomas A. Coughlin, III, as Commissioner of the New York State…
June 11, 199688 N.Y.2d 674
Summary
The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division, holding that conditioning an inmate’s eligibility for the Family Reunion visitation program on participation in a state‑run addiction treatment program that incorporates Alcoholics Anonymous’s 12‑step religious content violates the Establishment Clause. The Court affirmed the petitioner's right to obtain family visitation without being compelled to engage in religiously‑oriented treatment, and ordered the State to provide a secular alternative.