Prisoner Abuse Case Leads to Big Changes

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A case out of Denver is helping protect prisoners across the country from being abused by guards. Amanda Hall was an inmate at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility. Over the course of 5 months, a guard named LeShawn Terrell forced her to have sex. Ultimately, it was Hall's cellmate who reported the abuse. Well, in 2008, Hall filed two lawsuits. One was against the Colorado Department of Corrections, which was settled out of court. Another was against Sergeant Terrell, which went forward. The case prompted the state prison system to change some of its practices. But it's having a ripple effect well beyond Colorado, and for that reason, the state's Trial Lawyers Association has named it "Case of the Year." Joining Ryan Warner is Amanda Hall's attorney, Mari Newman, of the Denver law firm Killmer, Lane and Newman. A warning: our story contains some graphic details... and may not be appropriate for some listeners.