Final answer:
The Supreme Court case that denied prisoners' requests for steak and wine as part of their religious practices for the Church of the New Song was Jones v. North Carolina Prisoners' Labor Union, Inc. The Court held that these demands were not genuine religious practices and that maintaining prison security was paramount.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 1977 case where the Supreme Court rejected the addition of steak and wine to the prison menu for inmates practicing the religion of the Church of the New Song was Jones v. North Carolina Prisoners' Labor Union, Inc.
In this case, the Supreme Court addressed the rights of prison inmates in relation to union organizing and, more broadly, the question of inmates' religious rights. The Court ruled that the prisoners' rights were not violated by the refusal to grant them the requested diet of steak and wine. This refusal was based on the determination that these demands were not sincere religious practices but rather an attempt to disrupt the prison regime.
The importance of this case lies in balancing the religious freedoms of inmates with the security concerns and administrative duties of the prisons. Although prisoners are entitled to certain protections under the First Amendment, these rights are not absolute and can be tempered by legitimate penological objectives.