Turley’s lawyer, Jay Kanzler, disagreed, saying that other inmates could cite Williams’ ruling if in similar shared cells. He estimated that there were several hundred inmates in that situation.

Prison officials had argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because Turley, 57, has been moved to another prison. But Williams said that move probably was prompted by Turley’s lawsuit, and that there was nothing that would stop prison officials from returning Turley to a double-cell at Menard.

Williams wrote that the ruling would have limited impact on the prison system, as Turley could share a cell in other prisons or in other wings at Menard, and could even be returned to North 1, but only if housed by himself.

Menard has a capacity of 3,881 and a population of 3,188, according to the Department of Corrections. The prison was built in 1878. Both Kanzler and Turley’s lawsuit say that the North 1 cells were originally designed for one inmate and are the smallest in the prison system.