SAC has changed its own internal structure in recent years. One year ago, the group created a senior associate position to give a more formal role to younger members not elected to SAC itself. And last spring, the group voted to downsize itself by nearly 50 percent in order to distribute more leadership positions to those not on the body.

McCarthy notes the group also started an outreach program to specifically target the problems McLaughlin outlined.

This year, SAC members aggressively interviewed other student group leaders about what they would like to see at the IOP. McCarthy says the program had concrete effects.

After meeting with students involved with the PBHA Prisoner's education program, IOP started its own prison reform study group. McCarthy says he was very pleased to see the PBHA students attend the weekly study group.

"We could not have worked with student groups more than we have," McCarthy says.

But Pryor says changes simply were not coming fast enough. He was especially disturbed by decreasing attendance numbers and felt that allowing SAC to continue would mean the group did not address the problem.

"It was time to make the change; SAC was getting ready to have elections But the elections would only proceed with the move forward too slowly," he says.

"The time was right to start over," Pryor says.