'It looks like your client Bob is no longer housed in this facility and therefore no longer has standing. Case dismissed. If you can find someone else willing to initiate a case, you can start the year long process that got you here again. Of course, if they happen to get transferred to a new institution should their case make it this far in the process that case will also be dismissed for lack of standing.' -- The US Justice System
Yes, my case was (probably, maybe) barred from injunctive relief because you can't sue to fix problems at a jail or prison if they release you[0]. Some people have been prematurely released just to activate this option.
You can (sometimes) get declaratory judgment though, which at least declares you a winner and you can then pass the baton to the guy behind you who is still behind bars and use that as a stick to hit the institution over the head with.
And sometimes you can also get monetary damages too, which can be another stick to hit them with.
[0] some exceptions apply if the case is likely to repeat itself, but this argument is very, very hard to muster
No, you absolutely can, but you need representation. Most prisoner rights suits are started without lawyers, and the courts won't generally allow class actions without a lawyer, so there aren't many filed.
My case involved access to news and mail delivery. The mail delivery claim is left open for a future class action as the judge made an excellent ruling on it, just short of handing me victory. The person behind me can cite that persuasive ruling to bring a class action if they can find representation.
Trial court judges generally do what they want, especially at the state level in the USA.
The appellate courts do the real work of determining the legality of the judge's decisions and fixing them where necessary. If you don't have the resources to marshall a competent appeal, then you're usually out of luck.
