<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 12.03.02.03" title_num="12" subtitle_num="03" chapter_num="02" heading="Religious Diet Program — General.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>The Department shall make reasonable accommodations to provide incarcerated individuals in each correctional facility under the Department’s authority with dietary options that meet accepted religious dietary requirements.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>The Department’s RDP consists of the following two meal platforms:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Halal diet that shall be offered to an incarcerated individual who has designated the incarcerated individual’s religious faith as one of the following Islamic faith groups:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Shi’ite;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Sunni;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Nation of Islam;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Moorish Science Temple (all recognized groups); or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Other recognized religions that have the same basic tenets that require the Halal diet; and</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The Kosher diet that shall be offered to an incarcerated individual who has designated the incarcerated individual’s religious faith as one of the following faith groups:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Jewish;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>House of Yahweh;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Assemblies of Yahweh;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Messianic Jewish;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Hebrew Israelites; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Other recognized religions that have the same basic tenets that require the Kosher diet.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>In October of each calendar year, the facility chaplain, or a designee, shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Prepare an annual religious services plan for the next calendar year;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Include in the religious services plan the dates for high religious observance, seasonal observances, fasting periods, and programs for each recognized faith group that requires a special ceremonial diet; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Distribute the annual religious services plan to the managing official, or a designee.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>The Director of Food Service, or a designee, shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Ensure that the RDP dietary platforms are certified by an appropriate authority;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Ensure that the RDP meets or exceeds minimum daily nutritional requirements established and approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as they relate to food service in a correctional facility;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Provide correctional dietary managers with a copy of the RDP menu, as well as announcements, updates, and changes to ensure that the RDP maintains compliance with both religious and nutritional dietary requirements;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Ensure that correctional dietary managers and food service contractors are adhering to RDP requirements regarding the use of designated Kosher emblem tape; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Ensure that a correctional dietary manager does not alter the RDP menu except where seasonal availability of fresh produce or unexpected unavailability of canned or frozen food items warrants acceptable substitution.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>A correctional dietary manager may make temporary nutritionally equal substitutions if the substitutions are:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Based on the availability of seasonal produce; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>In accordance with the Department’s Dietary Program.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>An incarcerated individual:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>May abstain from regularly offered food items that the incarcerated individual believes to be prohibited by the incarcerated individual’s religion; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Abstaining from certain food items under §E(1) of this regulation may:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Still achieve a balanced diet by eating food items that are not prohibited by religious beliefs that are being offered to the incarcerated individual population;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Not be served pork, pork items, and foods prepared with pork renderings; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Choose to participate in the master cycle meat menu or the lacto-ovo vegetarian menu.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>An incarcerated individual who voluntarily withdraws or is involuntarily removed from the RDP in accordance with provisions under Regulations .05 and .06 of this chapter:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>May request a lacto-ovo vegetarian menu for nonreligious reasons; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>May not be reconsidered for the RDP until existing RDP-related sanctions end and the incarcerated individual files a request in accordance with Regulation .04 of this chapter.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>The managing official may suspend the delivery of an incarcerated individual’s RDP meal for up to 48 hours during a:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Declared emergency where halal or kosher meals are unavailable; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Lockdown of a housing area where the RDP participant is assigned.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>The facility shall provide an RDP bag lunch for an RDP incarcerated individual assigned to a work crew outside the facility.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="J.">
    <text>Prescribed Medical Diets.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>An incarcerated individual prescribed a medical diet may request to participate in the RDP by following the RDP request process described in Regulation .04 of this chapter using the Religious Diet Application Form.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>If an incarcerated individual discloses a food allergy or a currently prescribed medical diet on the Religious Diet Application Form, the facility chaplain shall submit the incarcerated individual’s RDP application to the facility’s HSA and facility’s designated dietary officer.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The RDP application of an incarcerated individual with a food allergy or a prescribed medical diet shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Department’s CMO, or CMO’s designee, and a Department registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>If the CMO, or CMO’s designee, and a Department registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist determine that the RDP is compatible with the prescribed medical diet with reasonable modification, the incarcerated individual may opt to receive an RDP diet that meets the nutritional and therapeutic requirements of the prescribed medical diet.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Reasonable modification includes, but is not limited to the:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Omission or substitution of foods to which the incarcerated individual is allergic;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Increase of the caloric value of a meal during periods of religious fasting; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Adjustment of scheduled meal delivery times during periods of religious fasting.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Reasonable modification does not include a dietary change with no medical or religious rationale as determined by the Chief of Religious Services, CMO, and a Department registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>If the CMO, or CMO’s designee, and a Department registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist determine the requested RDP is incompatible with, and cannot be modified to meet the nutritional and therapeutic requirements of the incarcerated individual, the CMO or CMO’s designee shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Explain to the incarcerated individual the nature of the incompatibility and the available options set forth in §I(6)(a) and (b); and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Be responsive to any questions or concerns communicated by the incarcerated individual.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>After the incarcerated individual and the facility chaplain have been notified of the determination made by the CMO, or CMO’s designee, and a Department registered and licensed dietitian regarding the RDP application, the incarcerated individual may choose one of the following:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Remain on the prescribed medical diet and withdraw their RDP request; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Refuse the prescribed medical diet and participate in the RDP without any modification.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Refusal of a prescribed medical diet.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>An incarcerated individual who refuses a prescribed medical diet shall be counseled and required to sign an acknowledgment indicating the incarcerated individual’s informed consent and understanding of the potential adverse consequences of refusing the prescribed medical diet.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Prior to requiring the incarcerated individual to sign the acknowledgment, the CMO or designee shall ensure that the incarcerated individual is competent to make an informed decision concerning the incarcerated individual’s refusal of the medical diet.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>An incarcerated individual currently prescribed a medical diet shall, before participating in a period of religious fasting:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Review health and medical diet concerns with the facility’s medical staff;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>If applicable, sign an acknowledgment indicating the incarcerated individual’s informed consent and understanding of the potential adverse consequences of refusing the prescribed medical diet for the period of the religious fasting; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>After the period of the religious fasting ends, return to the applicable medical diet, if the medical condition warranting the diet still exists.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>