Based on shocking evidence of the abusive conditions in Alabama's overcrowded and understaffed prisons, in 1975 Federal judge Frank Johnson declared the State's prison system to be in violation of the eighth amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Johnson composed a comprehensive decree that detailed improvements required to bring Alabama's prison system into compliance with constitutional standards for penal management. This book discusses the background against which Judge Johnson acted, the process that produced his decree, and subsequent efforts to enforce his order in the face of bureaucratic inertia, administrative incompetence, and political demagogy. The analysis of the reform enterprise encompasses the lawyers' strategies, Johnson's creative actions, and the machinations of State and Federal officials. The discussion also covers the structure of the class action lawsuits that targeted prison conditions and operations. Also addressed are the role of Federal courts in the reform of State institutions and the political maneuvering that accompanied such Federal judicial action. Although the book praises the institutional changes achieved under the impetus of the court decree, it also laments reformers' inability to achieve more fundamental change in penal policies and institutions. 180-item select bibliography, chapter notes, and subject index.