The inmates of Arizona state prison who are selected

The inmates of Arizona state prison who are selected by the state forest department to work as wilderness firefighters eat in the same cafeterias, sleep in the same campsites, and wear the same uniforms as their professional counterparts do, defying the rigid relationship barriers enforced inside prison walls.


A. defying the rigid relationship barriers enforced
--> The inmates did not intend to defy..., but the way they lived (an arrangement) did --> , V-ing is not appropriate.

B. defying the relationship barriers enforced rigidly
--> The inmates did not intend to defy..., but the way they lived (an arrangement) did --> , V-ing is not appropriate.

C. they defy the rigid relationship barriers enforced
--> run-on sentence.

D. an arrangement to defy the relationship barriers that are enforced rigidly
--> The inmates did not intend to defy, so the use to defy is inappropriate .

E. an arrangement that defies the rigid relationship barriers enforced
--> correct.

The answer is E
A is wrong as Inmates are themselves are not defying the relationship barriers .

B This choice is even more ridiculous as rigid should modify relationship

C They is ambiguous and even if it refers to inmates then also it is wrong as inmates are not defying the barriers.

D use of infinitive is not correct and rigid should modify relationship

E is correct as it uses Noun +Noun modifier and this clause modifies the whole preceding sentence .

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