A federal appeals court has thrown out a case which has constrainedoperations of Iowa’s maximum security prison since 1981. The case at one time established a limit on the number of prisoners whocould be housed at the Fort Madison prison. The case was filed by inmateswho complained of a lack of cleanliness, over-crowding and safety problemsat “The Fort.” Layne Lindebak is the attorney who’s worked on this case forthe state since 1981.Lindebak says prison officials will no longer be required to check with ajudge before making changes at the maximum security prison.Lindebak expects this to be the end of the road for the case, as even ifinmates decide to appeal, the U-S Supreme Court has refused to hear similarcases from other states.
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