Dragon Magazine goes political

[Corinth]

It's also great for honing your critical thinking skills, which are going to be very necessary for the ex-convict when he gets out of the joint and finds himself nigh-umemployable. This way, he'll bother to think through his plans before robbing the next bank.

 

[Kichwas]

There's only one class of people in the USA who can have all of their rights outside of those expressly listed in the Constitution removed:

US military personal.

Prisoners are still entitled to full civilian rights save where the constitution strips them of them (and actually I don't think it ever does does it?). However military personel are under the UCMJ and the constitution and have no access to any other legal rights.

So you cannot take their magazines away unless you can prove there's a clause in the constitution that removes their access to free speach.

Of course courts have made all sorts of interpretations of 'reasonable free speach' throughout US history...

Even though the constitution lacks the word 'reasonable'...

It was very interesting how the military interpretated free speach in relation to the chain of command issue... I actually feel I had more rights as a military individual than I do now as a civilian when it came to making sure my supervisors gave my opinions a fair ear and gave me input on the descision making process...

But now I'm wandering off topic.

 

[Mistwell]

Being one of the resident attorney's here, I'll speak to the issue of inmate first amendment rights.

Inmates do NOT have the same first amendment rights of non-inmates, according the US Supreme Court. There is a long series of cases on the subject, but I think this one spells it out failrly well:

From SHAW et al. v. MURPHY, __ US __, April 18, 2001.

"Prisoners’ constitutional rights are more limited in scope than the constitutional rights held by individuals in society at large. For instance, some First Amendment rights are simply inconsistent with the corrections system’s “legitimate penological objectives,” Pell v. Procunier, 417 U.S. 817, 822, and thus [the Supreme] Court has sustained restrictions on, e.g., inmate-to-inmate written correspondence [citation omitted]. Moreover, because courts are ill equipped to deal with the complex and intractable problems of prisons, Procunier v. Martinez, 416 U.S. 396, 404—405, [the Supreme] Court has generally deferred to prison officials’ judgment in upholding such regulations against constitutional challenge."

 

[Green Knight]

The rant's pretty stupid, though. The editors at Dragon actually expect gamers to take up the cause of writing politicians so that prisoners can play D&D? Right. As if I've got nothing better to do with my time. And I doubt playing D&D will help prisoners adjust to the real world when they get out or find a job...

Besides, D&D in prison can be DANGEROUS! First of all, we're talking criminals, here. Not exactly a group of people well known for their teamwork skills. Can you imagine the kind of infighting that'd go on in those games? Not as if they'd play good characters, after all.

And what happens when one guy has his PC rape another PC and then slit his throat? That player's gonna be pissed. So pissed that he might then knife the guy in the yard! "Mother ****er! You killed my Elf Ranger!" *slit*

It's just a disaster waiting to happen. I say let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

2Green Knight:
I doubt that people who act as you describe in real life will ever play Roleplaying Games...

 

[Green Knight]

*watches as his joke goes sailing over Mustrum's head*

 

[Steve Conan Trustrum]

Besides which, D&D is good therapy. It teaches math, reading, cooperation, long-term planning, and general social skills. It can also channel aggression into non-destructive pursuits. All of these are good things.

Just don't let them buy any modules where the players have to break out of a prison ...

 

[Don]

Re: The issue

Apparently some prisons in Californina and Georgia have not allowed their inmates to receive Dragon and Dungeon Magazines.

Some prisons also do not let their inmates play the game.

Well, duh. Prison isn't supposed to be fun. These people are being punished for crimes against society. Why should they be allowed to enjoy their imprisonment?

 

[el-remmen]

Hey all, just a slight warning. . .

Feel free to discuss if Dragon should or shouldn't print political editorials - but lets veer away from discussing the politics of the issue itself if it likely to cause unpleasantries and flames - which it is likely to. . .

Tread carefully, and use your best judgment.

Thanks

 

[Tetsubo]

I have to say that frankly I'm not concerned if prisoners can't game.

On a wider note, why don't they just create their own system? They have plenty of time on their hands. And it's more constructive than plotting the demise of a fellow inmate.