cruz beto argued decided march petitioner prisoner alleged buddhist complained allowed use prison chapel prohibited writing religious advisor placed solitary confinement sharing religious material prisoners federal district denied relief without hearing findings holding complaint area left sound discretion prison administration appeals affirmed held basis allegations texas discriminated petitioner denying reasonable opportunity pursue buddhist faith comparable offered prisoners adhering conventional religious precepts cause remanded hearing appropriate findings certiorari granted vacated remanded per curiam complaint alleging cause action cruz buddhist texas prison prisoners members religious sects allowed use prison chapel cruz shared buddhist religious material prisoners according allegations retaliation placed solitary confinement diet bread water two weeks without access newspapers magazines sources news also alleged prohibited corresponding religious advisor buddhist sect isolation unit spend hours day total idleness according allegations texas encourages inmates participate religious programs providing state expense chaplains catholic jewish protestant faiths providing also state expense copies jewish christian bibles conducting weekly sunday school classes religious services according allegations points good merit given prisoners reward attending orthodox religious services points enhancing prisoner eligibility desirable job assignments early parole consideration respondent answered denying allegations moving dismiss federal district denied relief without hearing findings saying complaint area left sound discretion prison administration went say valid disciplinary security reasons known may prevent equality exercise religious practices prison appeals affirmed federal courts sit supervise prisons enforce constitutional rights persons including prisoners unmindful prison officials must accorded latitude administration prison affairs prisoners necessarily subject appropriate rules regulations persons prison like individuals right petition government redress grievances course includes access prisoners courts purpose presenting complaints johnson avery ex parte hull see also younger gilmore gilmore lynch supp nd moreover racial segregation unconstitutional outside prisons unconstitutional within prisons save necessities prison security discipline lee washington even closely point cooper pate reversed dismissal complaint brought said taking true allegations complaint must motion dismiss complaint stated cause action ibid allegation made petitioner solely religious beliefs denied permission purchase certain religious publications denied privileges enjoyed prisoners said conley gibson complaint dismissed failure state claim unless appears beyond doubt plaintiff prove set facts support claim entitle relief cruz buddhist denied reasonable opportunity pursuing faith comparable opportunity afforded fellow prisoners adhere conventional religious precepts palpable discrimination state buddhist religion established long christian era first amendment applicable reason fourteenth amendment torcaso watkins prohibits government making law prohibiting free exercise religion allegations complaint assumed true must motion dismiss texas violated first fourteenth amendments motion leave proceed forma pauperis granted petition certiorari granted judgment vacated cause remanded hearing appropriate findings ordered footnotes plaintiff inmate texas department corrections member buddhist churches america time filing suit incarcerated eastham unit since transferred ellis unit substantial number prisoners texas department corrections either adherents buddhist faith wish explore gospel buddhism however defendants refused past continue refuse buddhists right hold religious services disseminate teachings buddha plaintiff prevented defendants borrowing lending buddhist religious books materials punished said defendants placed solitary confinement diet bread water two weeks sharing buddhist religious material prisoners despite repeated requests defendants use prison chapel facilities purpose holding buddhist religious services denials thereof defendants promulgated customs regulations maintain religious program within penal system consecrated chaplains protestant jewish roman catholic religions state expense assigned various units copies holy bible jewish christian distributed state expense free prisoners religious services religious classes protestant jewish roman catholic adherents held regularly chapel facilities erected state expense purposes records maintained defendants religious participation inmates religious participation encouraged inmates defendants necessary steps toward true rehabilitation points good merit given inmates defendants reward religious participation protestant jewish roman catholic faiths enhance inmates eligibility promotions class job assignment parole inmates buddhist faith denied right participate religious program made available protestant jewish roman catholic faiths defendants plaintiff members class represents subjected arbitrary unreasonable exclusion without lawful justification invidiously discriminates violation constitutional right religious freedom denies equal protection laws suggest course every religious sect group within prison however number must identical facilities personnel special chapel place worship need provided every faith regardless size must chaplain priest minister provided without regard extent demand reasonable opportunities must afforded prisoners exercise religious freedom guaranteed first fourteenth amendments without fear penalty chief justice burger concurring result concur result reached even though allegations complaint borderline necessary compel evidentiary hearing claims alleged frivolous others present justiciable issues possibly constitutional legal requirement government provide materials every religion sect practiced diverse country buddhist materials denied prisoners someone offers supply justice rehnquist dissenting unlike persuaded petitioner complaint claim first amendment opinion appeals vacated trial must necessarily conduct trial upon complaint first amendment course texas may neither establish religion may impair free exercise thereof petitioner alleges voluntary services made available prison facilities protestants catholics jews may attend church services choice none prior holdings indicates program part prison officials amounts establishment religion petitioner prisoner serving years robbery texas penitentiary understandably free practice religion outside prison walls intimation pleadings punished religious views case cooper pate prisoner denied receipt mail religion cooper presented question interference prison administration type involved retaining chaplains scheduling use prison facilities timing activities various prisoners none holdings first amendment requires addition allowed freedom religious belief prisoners allowed freely evangelize views among prisoners indication petitioner complaint prison officials dealt strictly efforts convert convicts buddhism efforts communicants faiths make similar conversions reason status petitioner obviously limited extent may practice religion assuredly free attend church choice outside prison walls fact texas prison system offers buddhist services particular prison circumstances pleaded complaint demonstrate religious freedom impaired presumably prison officials obligated provide facilities particular denominational services within prison although undertake provide must make reasonable distinctions may survive analysis equal protection clause petitioner basic claim amounts prison facilities provided denominational services religions numerous followers failure provide prison facilities buddhist services amounts denial equal protection laws indication petitioner complaint many practicing buddhists particular prison facility incarcerated indication demand upon available facilities prisoner activities neither decisions full argument summarily reversing dismissal prisoner civil rights complaint ever given full consideration proper balance struck prisoners rights extensive administrative discretion must rest correction officials apply rule deference administrative discretion overwhelmingly accepted courts appeals failing least hear argument rule govern long line decisions recognized equal protection laws guaranteed fourteenth amendment applied precisely equivalent way multitudinous fact situations may confront courts one hand held racial classifications invidious suspect think quite consistent intent framers fourteenth amendment many doubtless surprised know convicts came within ambit treat prisoner claims end spectrum claims racial discrimination absent complaint alleging facts showing difference treatment petitioner fellow buddhists practitioners denominations numerous adherents reasonably justified rational hypothesis leave matter hands prison officials assumed dismissal trial must treated proper standard conley gibson permit grant motion fed rule civ proc require district inflexibly apply general principle complaint every inmate many respects different litigating posture persons unconfined inmate stands gain something lose nothing complaint stating facts ultimately unable prove though may denied legal relief nonetheless obtained short sabbatical nearest federal courthouse expand availability courtroom appearances requiring district construe every inmate complaint liberal rule conley gibson deprives courts latitude necessary process species complaint finally factual hearing imperative remand dismissal appropriate grounds failure state claim relief evident record us forma pauperis complaint might well dismissed frivolous malicious discretion vested trial power limited impaired strictures rule fletcher young although trial based dismissal grounds record support dismissal frivolous state answer complaint showed identical issues religious freedoms litigated another prisoner institution claiming impairment practice buddhist religion brought attorney employed prison provide legal services inmates clear whether petitioner party suit many suits filed fellow prisoners instant claim may barred doctrine res judicata event prior adjudication claim another prisoner identical circumstances substantial factor decision dismiss claim frivolous addition trial dismissal another petitioner cases filed shortly instant action trial judge exposed myriad previous actions found voluminous repetitious duplicitous many instances deceitful whether petitioner might raised claim several actions joined prisoner plaintiffs also proper foundation finding complaint frivolous malicious whatever might posture constitutional claim petitioner never flooded courts repetitive duplicitous claims recently adjudicated identical proceeding believe dismissed frivolous case us remand hearing appropriate findings ante page course procedural vehicle making findings civil litigation trial civil litigant entitled inasmuch never dealt special procedural problems presented prisoners civil suits see fed rules civ proc haines kerner younger gilmore houghton shafer lee washington cooper pate douglas sigler carey settle carswell wainwright walker pate read johnson avery concerned prisoners traditional remedy habeas corpus reach issue statutory civil cause action see generally mcgowan maryland dandridge williams royster guano virginia levy louisiana carrington rash examples spectrum fourteenth amendment review standards loving virginia korematsu petitioner represented lawyer drafted complaint alleged excluded participation religious programs exclusion arbitrary unreasonable without lawful justification holding counsel standards pleading applied prisoners claims relief conclusions arbitrariness insufficient williams dunbar ex rel hoge bolsinger last type discussed writes writs economic gain group comprised unscrupulous manipulators interested acquiring prisoners money cigarettes merchandise purchased inmate canteen client interest aroused determine ability pay must keep hook commonly done deliberately misstating facts case appears least surface inmate entitled relief documents drafted client cast role sympathetic protagonist reading inmate elated found someone able present case favorably willing pay maintain lie created larsen prisoner looks rev decisions help may employ handful tricks damage image state courts subtle subterfuges used small minority tax credulity lawyer one simply made legal citations ran short actual ones one action california adult authority involving application administrative law one used following citations aesop fables first baptist church sally stanford doda one inch chest dogood planet earth references volumes page numbers nonexistent publications equally fantastic penal review page accompany case composed eloquent decision good law make selected acts adult authority unconstitutional time decisions freely circulated among several gullible ones began citing also emporary relief prison confinement always alluring prospect hardened criminal possibility escape lurks every excursion beyond prison walls price johnston cf price johnston giving courts appeals necessary discretion determine prisoners allowed argue habeas corpus appeals person apparent request prisoner argue personally reflects something mere desire freed temporarily confines prison capable conducting intelligent responsible argument presence courtroom may secured without undue inconvenience danger justified issuing writ reece washington conway oliver