The California government will pay $1.95 million to an atheist and former parolee who went back to prison after refusing to participate in a religiously tinged inpatient treatment program, according to Reuters.
The Record Searchlight reports Barry Hazle Jr. of Redding and his attorney announced the settlement Tuesday in San Francisco.
Hazle's lawyers secured a $1 million settlement from the state and $925,000 from Westcare, a company hired by parole officials to provide drug treatment for convicts, but Hazle dropped his suit this week because of the settlement, according to Searchlight.
The 46-year-old Hazle served a year in prison on a drug charge, and after being released in 2007 he was ordered to take part in a rehab program, Reuters reported.
Atheists' have objections to the faith-based component of 12-step recovery programs originally promoted by Alcoholics Anonymous, according to Reuters.
His parole agent arrested him on a parole violation after he refused to participate in the program, according to Reuters. After serving three more months, Hazle sued the state corrections department.
Hazle had accused the officers of breaching the constitutional separation of church and state, and won the payout after the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found last year he was entitled to compensation for time he was unjustly held in prison, Reuters reported.
A federal court ruled last year that forced participation in a religious program had violated Hazle's constitutional rights, Reuters reported. The appeals court overturned that aspect of the case last year and found he was entitled to damages.
