Barry A. Hazle Wins $2M Lawsuit For Being 'Forced' to Attend 12 Step Meetings

Barry A. Hazle was sent back to prison for parole violation, and for his troubles filed and won a $2M dollar law suit.

The 46 year old man served time for a conviction of methamphetamine possession. Hazle later received parole and the terms of his parole required attending mandatory 12 step meetings.

As an atheist, Hazle claimed that 12 step meetings were religious organizations that went against his beliefs.

Hazle complained to his parole officer and asked for additional treatment options. His parole officer stated that West Care 12 step meetings were the only option available.

For violating his parole, Hazle was sent back to jail for more than 3 months. The Record Searchlight reported that "Hazle was sent back to jail for more than three months for allegedly being “disruptive, though in a congenial way, to the staff as well as other students" and being "sort of passive-aggressive,” the paper reported.

"I’m thrilled to finally have this case settled," Hazle told the Searchlight. "It sends a clear message to people in a position of authority, like my parole agent, for example, that they not mandate religious programming for their parolees, and for anyone else, for that matter."

- Barry A. Hazle

Hazle first sued in 2001. He won the case but the jury refused to grant him any financial compensation. Through a long court process, the decision was eventually thrown out and a three judge panel said that Hazle was entitled to compensation.

“The jury’s verdict, which awarded Hazle no compensatory damages at all for his loss of liberty, cannot be upheld,” Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the court’s opinion. “The jury simply was not entitled to refuse to award any damages for Hazle’s undisputable -- and undisputed -- loss of liberty, and its verdict to the contrary must be rejected.”

The state of California will pay Hazle $1 million, while Westcare will pay $925,000 under terms of the settlement, according to KRCR-TV.

Hazle told the Sacramento Bee he plans to become active in local drug rehabilitation efforts.

The California Department of Corrections has since issued new rules stating that parole officers may not require parolees to attend faith-based programs.