If a detainee requests the introduction of a new or unfamiliar religious practice, the chaplain or religious services coordinator may ask the detainee to provide additional information to use in deciding whether to include the practice.

Detainees may make a request for the introduction of a new component to the Religious Services program (e.g., schedule, meeting time and space, religious items and attire) to the chaplain or religious services coordinator. The chaplain or religious services coordinator may ask the detainee to provide additional information to use in deciding whether to include the practice. Ordinarily, the process shall require up to 30 business days for completion.

The chaplain or religious services coordinator shall research the request and make recommendations to the facility administrator, who shall add his/her own recommendations and forward them to the respective Field Office Director for approval. Such decisions are subject to the facility’s requirement to maintain a safe, secure and orderly facility, and the availability of staff for supervision. The Field Office Director shall forward the final decision to the facility administrator, and the chaplain or religious services coordinator shall communicate the decision to the detainee.