Prisoner Behind Landmark Supreme Court Case Returns to Arkansas after Settlement

Carolyn Homer spoke to Southwest Times Record about the return of her pro bono client Gregory Holt — also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad — from the federal prison in West Virginia where Arkansas prison officials had sent him unconstitutionally. Holt's return comes after a legal settlement that confirmed his transfer to a federal prison was unconstitutional retaliation for his First Amendment–protected legal work.

Carolyn discussed how the case offers a broader reminder about the limits of prison authority, stating, “There’s a tendency among prison officials across the country, not just in Arkansas, to think discretion is absolute. But even that discretion is constrained by First Amendment rights and civil rights.”

She added, "The goal was always to bring Mr. Muhammad home, and we succeeded."

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