The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life today released an analysis of the recent Supreme Court decision in Cutter v. Wilkinson. The May 31 ruling upheld the constitutionality of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), a federal law that aims to protect the religious freedom of inmates and others held in state and local institutions.

The new paper, which analyzes the opinion and its possible impact on future cases, is an addendum to a backgrounder, published in March, which provides a legal and historical analysis of the issues in Cutter. Both are now available on the Forum’s Web site.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life delivers timely, impartial information to national opinion leaders on issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs; it also serves as a neutral venue for discussions of those matters. The Forum is a project of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.