The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has raised concerns over religious activity at the Cleveland County Detention Center in Norman, Oklahoma, after the county sheriff’s office appeared to promote Christian conversion among inmates through its official social media messaging.
The national nonprofit, which campaigns for the separation of religion and government in the United States, said the tone and content of a public Facebook post by the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office risked creating pressure on detainees to take part in religious practices — particularly in a custodial environment where inmates may feel compelled to comply in order to be viewed favourably.
A concerned community member reported that the sheriff’s office was promoting religion and the conversion of inmates in the detention center (based in Norman, Okla.) to Christianity on its official Facebook account. In a Nov. 11, 2025, post, the sheriff’s office wrote:
God is moving inside the Cleveland County Detention Center. 182 men and women have now stepped forward, declaring a desire to change their lives, make better decisions, and walk a new path. Moments like this remind us that restoration is possible and that no life is beyond hope. We are deeply grateful for our partnership with Norman Bible Church and all of the incredible volunteers who pour into our jail and prison ministry. Thank you for helping us bring light, truth, and transformation to those in our care.
FFRF said it intervened to protect the rights of inmates who may not share the same faith, or who may wish not to participate in religious programming at all. The organisation argues that even voluntary religious activity can become coercive when public officials appear to endorse it, especially within institutions where individuals have limited freedom and depend on authorities for day-to-day welfare and treatment.
“When the Sheriff’s Office entangles itself with religion and makes it clear that it’s encouraging inmates to convert to Christianity, inmates will no doubt feel pressured to convert and participate in religious activities in order to be seen as cooperative and well behaved,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote in a letter to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.
In its complaint, FFRF cited the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which restricts government bodies from promoting or endorsing religion. While US law protects the right of inmates to practise their own faith, it also requires state agencies to remain neutral and avoid conduct that could be interpreted as encouraging religious conversion.
The organisation said that facilitating access to religious services is not itself unconstitutional, but it becomes problematic if public officials organise, promote, or participate in religious exercises in a way that signals institutional support for a specific faith. In this case, FFRF argued that baptisms and other Christian programming should not be presented in a manner that suggests the sheriff’s office is actively supporting a particular religious outcome.
FFRF is pleased to report that its complaint letter saw success, and Sheriff Chris Amason wrote back to detail the office’s compliance with the Constitution.
In his response, Amason disputed any suggestion that inmates were required to take part in religious programming, and stated that the baptisms were not organised or led by the sheriff’s office. However, he acknowledged that official communications must be handled carefully to avoid the appearance of government endorsement of religion.
While Amason insisted that the detention center does not require inmate participation in religious programming of any kind, and that the sheriff’s office did not organize, lead or conduct the baptisms, he also confirmed that the office accommodates nonreligious and alternative-faith programming when requested.
“In reviewing our public communications, we agree that government messaging must avoid any appearance of religious endorsement,” Amason wrote. “Accordingly, we are implementing adjustments to ensure that all Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office posts about volunteer-led inmate programming — religious or otherwise — are framed in neutral, factual terms to reflect accommodation rather than endorsement.”
The exchange highlights a broader compliance challenge for public-sector bodies in the US, particularly when partnering with volunteer organisations that deliver services inside public institutions. While faith-based groups often provide pastoral care and support programmes in prisons and jails, constitutional safeguards require authorities to ensure equal access and avoid favouring one belief system over another.
For organisations operating in the justice and detention sector, the issue also has reputational and governance implications. Social media communications by public agencies can quickly draw scrutiny, and the language used to describe inmate programming can be interpreted as policy direction — even where participation is voluntary.
FFRF said the matter demonstrates why detainees are considered a high-risk group for religious coercion, given the imbalance of power between inmates and officials. It also said that constitutional protections apply regardless of a person’s custodial status.
“Inmates are a particularly vulnerable population, and it’s all too common for their First Amendment rights to be violated,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “Just because they are a literal ‘captive audience’ does not mean they must forfeit their right to practice their own religious beliefs or none at all.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members across the country, including hundreds of members in Oklahoma. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
