Although inmates do not have full constitutional rights, they are protected by the federal and state laws, in addition to the Constitution's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. According to a federal lawsuit, Ohio prisoner Cecil Koger's right to practice his Rastafarian religion was repeatedly violated by the routine cutting of his dreadlocks. The Associated Press reports that the lawsuit states that Koger's hair was forcibly cut five times by officers at the Trumbull Correctional Institution in northeastern Ohio, including one incident a year ago when he was shackled and chemically subdued.

Avidan Cover, the Case Western Reserve University law professor who is representing the inmate, states in the lawsuit that by cutting Koger's hair, prison officials have "stolen a part of his identity, as his dreadlocks served as a reminder of his faith and devotion to the natural world." Developed in Jamaica, Rastafarianism adheres to parts of the Old Testament and the lifestyle of those who practice the religion can include the ritual use of marijuana, a vegetarian diet known as "ital" and the wearing of dreadlocks.

While prison rules place a ban on dreadlocks, the lawsuit says that it has been selective in its application of the ban, allowing some non-Rastafarian inmates to wear them. Koger, 35, is serving a 33-year sentence for aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. The prison system has not released a statement on the case.