A state prison inmate says New Mexico correction officials aren’t allowing him to practice his religion and properly worship Satan behind bars.
Bernard Pritchard recently filed a lawsuit in state court alleging the chaplain and deputy warden at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Las Cruces treat his faith differently than others.
Pritchard is asking a judge to force the New Mexico Corrections Department to let him worship Satan more freely and wants $140,000 in damages.
The New Mexico Corrections Department declined comment. Prison officals say they try to accommodate all religions. Pritchard is serving time on aggravated stalking charges.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Alliant Insurance Acquires New Hampshire’s Melcher & Prescott
Friend of Suspected FBI Data Thief: ‘Crazy’ Teen Warned Not to Hack Bureau
Uninsurable Future: Managing the Climate-Change-Fueled Home Insurance Crisis
A Timeline of Developments in AI Safety Since the Attack on Hugging Face 


