Court Bars Bugging CYA Chapels

Electronic bugging equipment in California Youth Authority chapels, installed as a security measure, violates the religious freedom of juvenile offenders, the state Supreme Court ruled today.

Although the CYA’s concerns about possible violence in the chapels are reasonable, the use of listening devices that can pick up conversations with a chaplain, religious counseling sessions and worship services is too intrusive, said the opinion by Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird.