A federal judge says Georgia prison officials have flagrantly violated a court order to reform conditions for inmates in solitary confinement at a state prison south of Atlanta. The Special Management Unit of the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson houses some of the state’s most violent offenders. In a damning ruling, U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell said Friday that prison officials showed no desire or intention to make the required changes to SMU's solitary confinement practices. He ordered an independent monitor to ensure compliance with a settlement agreement. A spokesperson for the state department of corrections said it will not be commenting on legal matters.
