A Madison-based group that supports the separation of church and state is suing the Corrections Department in the state of New Mexico over a religious program at the New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a federal lawsuit Monday claiming the program, Life Principles Community/Crossings, had the intent of converting women to Christianity, according to a release.

"The content of the faith-based programming provided by Corrections Corporation of America is intended to convert people to a fundamentalist interpretation of Christianity," the FFRF complaint noted.

The suit also claimed women in the program received special treatment and better living conditions than other inmates, and that the state unlawfully uses taxpayer dollars to fund religious training.

University of Wisconsin political science professor Donald Downs said if the claims in lawsuit are true, then the corrections department may be in trouble.

"If they're giving special benefits to these inmates based only on the fact they're in this religious program, that's a problem," Downs said. "A program cannot be done to further religion, and inmates cannot be rewarded for participating in a program that is entirely religious."

Downs said a correctional facility's rehabilitation program is able to, by law, include a religious aspect as a part of an inmate's rehabilitation.

Tia Bland, chief public information officer for the New Mexico Corrections Department, denied the claims made by the FFRF.

"In every prison facility, there is some sort of a religious-based program," Bland said. "It varies from facility to facility, but there are programs like this at every prison."

According to Bland, the women's correctional facility religious program is simply part of a larger rehabilitation program and is not funded by taxpayers any more than necessary.

"The religious program at the facility is run on a voluntary basis," Bland said. "Like any other rehabilitation program, the facility must adequately staff all meetings. Other than the funds required for providing staff at the meetings, the program does not run on state funds."

Bland also denied the accusation that inmates who participate in the religious program receive privileges and living conditions that other inmates do not receive.

"They have all the same opportunities and get privileges that other inmates do," Bland said. "They are not segregated from other inmates because they participate in the religious program and their living conditions are the same as any other inmate. All the inmates in that facility have access to microwaves and couches."

Downs said he sides with the New Mexico Corrections Department as long as the religious program is a part of a larger rehabilitation plan.

"A rehab program can contain a religious aspect as long as the overall goal is rehabilitation," Downs said. "As long as it is not done to further religion, it is fine. The Freedom from Religion Foundation has an extreme stance about issues like this."