The lawsuit is similar to a half-dozen brought by prisoner advocates in other states, including New York and New Jersey.

The story began in the 1970's, when prisoner advocates sued the city over the deplorable conditions at the old House of Detention.

Policy analysts and prisoner advocates worry that private contractors like Corrections Corporation will run bare-bones prisons to maximize profits.

The pro-change forces include the usual run of civil libertarians and prisoner advocates.

That said, he is now a prisoner advocate who clearly understands the power of the image: it appears on his business card.

But prisoner advocates complained, the drop-off time was changed, and now the inmates start their day of release a little later, with $40 in their pockets.

The decision to close Hayes was condemned by the State Opposition, unions and prisoner advocates.

Although few deny that Graterford has a drug problem, some prisoner advocates say the search, with all of its drama, had political motivations.

But prisoner advocates said they believed few women would make false accusations against corrections employees because of fear of retribution.

His testimony in the first trial echoes what prisoner advocates call a culture of rape in American prisons, in which weaker inmates are typically assaulted.