30-year Texas prison battle ends Books closed on Ruiz suit that forced court oversight, reforms 06/08/2002 By ED TIMMS / The Dallas Morning News Federal oversight of Texas' prison system, which led to sweeping reforms and contributed to an unprecedented prison construction boom, effectively ended Friday. U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice, who concluded in 1980 that confinement in Texas prisons constituted cruel and unusual punishment, was told Friday by attorneys representing inmates that they did not plan to contest the termination of the landmark civil rights case. The case, which started with a lawsuit filed on behalf of David...