I say no, because I believe they are alternatives to practice any religion if the situation was something they believed to be harmful or not something that the prison system would allow for other reasons. It is not like they are not allowing him to practice period, just not that ritual that involves fire. So I think that he should bite it and find an alternative.

It seems like they have no problem with letting him practice. They are just responsible for many more prisoners than him. If they let him build a pit then others could take advantage and reek chaos. Fire pits and prison just don't seem to go hand in hand in my opinion. I think for safety issues not letting him build a fire was the best thing to do.

Their are many things to look at in this case. They let him practice, they just felt that a firepit might endanger him or the other inmates if somehow things got out of hand. It isn't like they ignored his requests completely, they made accommodations for him by allowing him to use a candle.

Scott Cunningham's book Wicca: A guide of the solitary practitioner, mentions that any rite can be changed to make it more personalized to the person, and that certain items can be substituted in place of others.

*Example: If you don't have candles, incense are fine, or if you don't have a cauldron, you can use a bowl or pot.