People who identify as humanists will now be able to receive accommodations including study materials and time to partake in religious activities and holidays.
The American Humanist Association filed a lawsuit against the federal Bureau of Prisons after Jason Michael Holden, an inmate at a federal prison in Oregon, wasn’t allowed to form a humanist study group. Once the lawsuit was filed, Holden was able to form the group.
"Humanist inmates will also be permitted to observe Darwin Day and other 'holy' days just as inmates of other religions do, according to the settlement," Courthouse News notes.
Holden's settlement "comes a little more than a year after the U.S. Army added humanist to its list of religious preferences," the AP reports.
Humanism is a movement that centers on rationalism. The American Humanist Association defines humanism as "a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity."
For Holden, it’s about improving the world.
"As humanists, we believe in the ability of mankind to transcend their differences and find some common ground, you know, make the world a better place," he said.
