Reid filed a lawsuit against the restrictions placed on him in prison which controlled his communications with lawyers and other non-prisoners, limited his access to Muslim clerics, and prevented him from joining in group prayer at the prison. In 2009, Reid went on a hunger strike and was force-fed and hydrated for several weeks. It was unknown whether Reid's hunger strike was related to his lawsuit. The Department of Justice, after consulting with its Counterterrorism Section, the prosecuting US Attorney’s office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, allowed these prison restrictions on Reid to expire during 2009, making his lawsuit moot.