By . Ashley Collman . A 55-year-old convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania state prison is fighting in court for the right to have conjugal visits with his multiple wives. Polygamist inmate Gregory Thomas, who is Muslim, said the prison's policy against such visits is a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of religion. On Tuesday, a Commonwealth Court judge allowed Thomas to proceed with his case, shooting down the Corrections Department's call to for a blanket dismissal. Imprisoned polygamist: Gregory Thomas, an inmate at the state prison in Huntington, Pennsylvania, claims a ban on conjugal visits with his multiple wives is a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of religion . While Judge P. Kevin Brobson says Thomas didn't prove his constitutional rights had been violated by the prison's policy, he believes there is still a case to be made under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which prohibits measures that prevent prisoners from worshiping freely. Thomas has been behind bars at the state prison in Huntingdon since 1990, after being convicted of murder in Philadelphia. After spending more than two decades in prison, Thomas says his wives are threatening to divorce him within their religion on the basis that they can't have sex with him. It's unclear how many wives Thomas has since the number isn't specified in court documents. He also says the policy is discriminatory against heterosexual inmates since homosexual prisoners can have intercourse freely behind bars. Thomas is also fighting other prison policies including the limited use of prayer oil, rules on who inmates can and can't call as well as the presence of female prison officers. Trouble at home: After spending more than two decades in prison, Thomas says his wives are threatening to divorce him within their religion because they can't have intercourse. Above, a still from HBO television show Big Love, which followed a fictional Mormon polygamist family in Utah . He told Judge Brobson that the 'presence of female correctional officers causes him emotional stress' which is a cruel and unusual punishment. The Corrections Department has countered Thomas' complaint, explaining that each of the policies is in place for security reasons. They point out that conjugal visits aren't allowed in most state prison systems, and that prayer oil is used by inmates to mask the smell of illegal drugs and is also flammable. Currently, no two prisoners are allowed to have the same contacts on their call lists, which Thomas believes is a violation of his right to free association. But Corrections points out that inmates have alternative means of communicating with people in the outside world - like writing letters. If they want to win their case, Judge Brobson says the Corrections Department must prove that there is a legitimate security reason for their policies and that they are the 'least restrictive means available to accomplish the objective.'
Gregory Thomas, 55, is currently serving a life sentence for murder at a state prison in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania .
The Muslim man is fighting in court for the right to have conjugal visits with his multiple wives .
It's uncertain how many wives Thomas has, since the number isn't specified in court documents .
After more than two decades behind bars, he says his wives are threatening to divorce him within their religion because they can't have sex .
He also believes the ban is discriminatory towards heterosexual inmates since homosexual prisoners can have sex behind bars .
By . Ashley Collman . A 55-year-old convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania state prison is fighting in court for the right to have conjugal visits with his multiple wives. Polygamist inmate Gregory Thomas, who is Muslim, said the prison's policy against such visits is a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of religion. On Tuesday, a Commonwealth Court judge allowed Thomas to proceed with his case, shooting down the Corrections Department's call to for a blanket dismissal. Imprisoned polygamist: Gregory Thomas, an inmate at the state prison in Huntington, Pennsylvania, claims a ban on conjugal visits with his multiple wives is a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of religion . While Judge P. Kevin Brobson says Thomas didn't prove his constitutional rights had been violated by the prison's policy, he believes there is still a case to be made under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which prohibits measures that prevent prisoners from worshiping freely. Thomas has been behind bars at the state prison in Huntingdon since 1990, after being convicted of murder in Philadelphia. After spending more than two decades in prison, Thomas says his wives are threatening to divorce him within their religion on the basis that they can't have sex with him. It's unclear how many wives Thomas has since the number isn't specified in court documents. He also says the policy is discriminatory against heterosexual inmates since homosexual prisoners can have intercourse freely behind bars. Thomas is also fighting other prison policies including the limited use of prayer oil, rules on who inmates can and can't call as well as the presence of female prison officers. Trouble at home: After spending more than two decades in prison, Thomas says his wives are threatening to divorce him within their religion because they can't have intercourse. Above, a still from HBO television show Big Love, which followed a fictional Mormon polygamist family in Utah . He told Judge Brobson that the 'presence of female correctional officers causes him emotional stress' which is a cruel and unusual punishment. The Corrections Department has countered Thomas' complaint, explaining that each of the policies is in place for security reasons. They point out that conjugal visits aren't allowed in most state prison systems, and that prayer oil is used by inmates to mask the smell of illegal drugs and is also flammable. Currently, no two prisoners are allowed to have the same contacts on their call lists, which Thomas believes is a violation of his right to free association. But Corrections points out that inmates have alternative means of communicating with people in the outside world - like writing letters. If they want to win their case, Judge Brobson says the Corrections Department must prove that there is a legitimate security reason for their policies and that they are the 'least restrictive means available to accomplish the objective.'
murderer serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania state prison is fighting in court for the right to have conjugal visits with his multiple wives. worshiping freely. Thomas has been behind bars at spending more than two decades in prison, Thomas says his wives are threatening to divorce him can't have sex with him. It's unclear how many wives Thomas has since the number isn't specified in court documents. He also says the policy is discriminatory against heterosexual inmates since homosexual prisoners can have intercourse freely threatening to divorce him within their religion because they can't have intercourse. Above, a