Inmates at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown said their treatment at the prison -- which houses inmates considered to be security risks to the prison system -- violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Twenty-one inmates are listed as plaintiffs in the class-action suit, which does not ask for money but requests an overhaul of the prison, including better recreational facilities, improved medical care and an end to the use of tight and harsh restraints.

At a news conference to announce the filing of the suit, prisoners' attorney Alice Lynd accused prison officials of deliberate cruelty that goes beyond the inmates' sentence.

Terry Gilbert, another attorney for the inmates, said he expects to go to court in the next couple of months in hopes of obtaining temporary relief for the inmates.

A state Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokeswoman declined comment on the suit.