SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- An appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling that a federal law protecting religious freedoms of inmates and others is constitutional.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday against California prison officials in a lawsuit originally brought in 1996 by a group of Muslim inmates who claimed they were penalized for attending Friday afternoon religious services.

When the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 passed, the inmates added a claim to their suit. The law prohibits the government from putting a burden on people to exercise their freedom of religion unless there's a compelling government interest. It applies to inmates and others in institutions that receive federal funding.

State prison officials challenged the constitutionality of the law on various grounds, saying, among other things, that it exceeded Congress' authority to set conditions on federal funds.

Well out here in AZ the Muslims can not hold their own services as doc put a stop to them doing that, saying that they must have someone from the Mosque come to the prison and give them their service. See this is the reason that I had the question about church & state but I'm not too good with asking or of how to word the question in order to get a detailed answer on this matter.