Protecting prisoner's rights

        Throughout history there have been court case brought by prisoners to protect those rights. Many of these cases revolve around the conditions within the prisons, such as overcrowding, medical and mental care, and religious freedom to name a few. Some of these cases are: Brown vs. Plata; Wilson vs. Sieter & Ruiz vs. Estelle. (pages 400-402) Based on this information and the rest of the chapter, what are the most accurate reasons that prisons would be considered overcrowded? What doctrine has the Supreme Court adopted to consider prisoner complaints regarding the conditions of the prisons?