An Orthodox Jewish inmate's lawsuit claiming Colorado denied his rights by taking away his kosher meals as a punishment was very effective.

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Mark Silverstein, legal director of the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union, told the Rocky Mountain News that Timothy Shelinc got kosher food back two days after the suit was filed.

Shelinc was caught sneaking food away from the dining hall --specifically two pats of butter and two small packets of salad dressing -- in April. Silverstein said he lived on peanut butter and crackers rather than violate Jewish dietary laws and had lost 30 pounds.

The ACLU still hopes to win a court ruling that would bar the Department of Corrections from using the denial of food called for by religious rules as a punishment.