Guthrie v. Evans began in 1972 as a complaint by several black inmates protesting living conditions at the Georgia State Prison. Judge Anthony Alaimo of the District Court condemned the segregation, overcrowding, poor medical care, and other conditions as cruel and unusual punishment and ordered extensive changes in almost every aspect of prison operations. The implementation of these changes took 13 years. The case is analyzed in terms of four issues: (1) the decisionmakers and their perceptions of the case, (2) budgetary considerations in implementing reforms, (3) the remedies undertaken and the ways they changed as the litigation continued, and (4) the constitutional rights underlying the case. The analysis also considers the political, administrative, budgetary, and other issues involved in judicial intervention in corrections and the implications for other areas of institutional reform. Index; 90 references; and appended methodological information, tables, notes, and list of sources