Holt_v._Sarver
Holt v. Sarver was a court decision that was the first in a series of American common law cases that have found entire state prison systems in violation of prisoners' constitutional rights by inflicting cruel and unusual punishment.[1]
The Arkansas prison system, which had no written standards, was found to violate the US Constitution.[2] The cases significantly altered the American prison system, specifically with regard to prisoners' rights under the Eighth Amendment.