Dungeons and Dragons - A Threat to Prison Security

[pacdidj]

What part of "Kevin T. Singer, a long-time dungeon-explorer sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for bludgeoning and stabbing his sister’s boyfriend" implies that said boyfriend did something heinous to his sister?

Just setting a scenario, trying to encourage a bit of empathy. Who knows what his actual motivation was, but I could certainly understand his actions if they were motivated by harm visited upon his sister.

I also disagree that not being allowed a game within a prison environment is "cruel". Personally, I wouldn't allow television, either, and movies would be a treat for good behaviour. But, then, I don't think prisons should ever become too comfortable. Being incarcerated for a felony crime should be something that one strenously avoids.

So I take it you see imprisonment as strictly a punitive, rather than a rehabilitative tool of a justice system? Harshness of sentence has not been found to have any link to crime deterrence, and even the basic effectiveness of imprisonment as a deterrent has been called into question.

Keep in mind also that not all that are convicted are guilty (see The Innocence Project - Home), so strenuous avoidance doesn't necessarily keep one out of prison.

I don't believe that it is "arbitrary" either, because reading the decision convinced me that it was not. It is contrary to the security of a prison to allow a prisoner to put himself in a position of authority over other prisoners, and then actively recruit.

See, this I just don't buy. I would think that, if anything, a regular D&D game would likely make inmates more content to serve out their sentences peaceably, not serve as a vehicle for plotting some sort of half-baked prison rebellion. But, even if Singer and his buddies were up to something, so what? Why take D&D away from everybody, why not just separate the group of trouble makers into different cell blocks? Honestly, if Captain Muraski, with all the security technology, weaponry, and personnel at his disposal, finds Dungeons and Dragons too great a threat to his authority, I seriously doubt his competence as a prison official.

 

[Raven Crowking]

So I take it you see imprisonment as strictly a punitive, rather than a rehabilitative tool of a justice system?

Why would you take it so?

I believe that imprisonment can accomplish both punative and rehabilitative goals.

That the death penalty may or may not deter future murders is moot as to the question of whether or not a harsh sentence that you have to live with does so. Nor does a study of a prison system that assumes a basic right to television and leisure activities actually help determine whether or not prison is a deterent.

That said, if one is going to impose a death sentence, I would prefer that there be a much higher standard of proof before that sentence can be imposed. Moreover, a death sentence (IMHO) should only be imposed where a person is deemed to be beyond redemption, and the point should not be either punishment or deterence, but to limit costs to the State.

See, this I just don't buy. I would think that, if anything, a regular D&D game would likely make inmates more content to serve out their sentences peaceably, not serve as a vehicle for plotting some sort of half-baked prison rebellion.

But "some sort of half-baked prison rebellion" need not apply.

You did read the decision before leaping to judgment, didn't you?


RC

 

[nedjer]

bit tired . . we broke out about half an hour ago . . . the dogs aren't far behind and I can't seem to shake this ball and chain.

Yeah, I learned everything I know about crime and breaking out of jails playing a 12th level thief. In fact. I'm pretty sure that's what lead me into crime, cos like most gangsters play RPGs because like geek is the new Clockwork Orange.

 

[pacdidj]

You did read the decision before leaping to judgment, didn't you?

Sure, I did, and it seems to me that with his DnD ban, Muraski overstepped his duty to:

“prevent the grouping of inmates into new gangs or other groups that are not organized to promote educational, social, cultural, religious, recreational, or other lawful leisure activities,”

and made an arbitrary and cruel decision, curtailing a prisoner's rights for basically no reason, or at least no valid, well-thought-out reason.

But whatever dude, we can agree to disagree on this one. God help you though, should you ever find yourself, for whatever reason, incarcerated in your vision of what a prison should be.

 

[Chzbro]

See, this I just don't buy. I would think that, if anything, a regular D&D game would likely make inmates more content to serve out their sentences peaceably, not serve as a vehicle for plotting some sort of half-baked prison rebellion.

It's all well and good to say, "If I ran the prison, they wouldn't have air-conditioning/cable TV/running water/etc." but one group that would pretty vociferously disagree is prison guards.

Prison should certainly not be a place you want to be, but it's not in the best interests of anyone to have it full of hot, bored, angry criminals who have absolutely no reason NOT to riot.

I'm pretty sure if we were to poll prisoners in America today who have TV, air-conditioning, heat, and 3 squares a day, 99% of them wish they were anywhere else.

I used to have a teacher who said that he didn't have AC or cable, so prison didn't sound that bad. But I never saw him in any rush to get put there, which is pretty much where his argument fell apart.

 

[Raven Crowking]

The decision is affirmed, in part, upon the State's reasonable concern

that D&D “could foster an inmate’s obsession with escaping from the real life, correctional environment,” placing both the legitimate penological goals of prison security and inmate rehabilitation in peril.​

as well as the essentially "gang-like" nature of a structure where one inmate has authority gained, not from the institution, but from his own actions and/or the actions of other inmates.

In my Basic Training example, I was offered all sorts of favours because I was running a game. In prison, the value of favours is certainly higher than in Basic Training, as is the level of authority that someone who offers a form of escapism can hold.

EDIT: You can certainly understand how having others willing to make beds, shine shoes, and perform other tasks would be potentially detrimental to the goals of Basic Training, I trust? In prison, this is certainly more true!

Singer may or may not be prone to violence beyond the incident that got him incarcerated, but surely there are others who are so prone. When Singer clearly dislikes another prisoner, or has a clear problem with an individual, it is to the advantage of the player base to resolve these problems. Not unlike polishing boots and making beds in Basic Training, or bringing beer and pizza in the most banal of environments.

There is also a power structure in prison, as in all environments. Prison officials have a reasonable concern that the described recruitment drive to expand the player base is also a recruitment drive to expand the power base of the DM in question (Singer), so as to make his prison time easier.....generally speaking, to the detriment of other inmates.

Prison officials also have a vested interest in keeping prisoners focused on their current situation in order to aid in rehabilitation, which the proferred escape into a fantasy world may well damage. The term "Escapist path" used in the judgment doesn't necessarily mean actual physical escape, nor is the State making a case that physical escape from confinement is an overriding concern.

Now, it may well be that the State's concerns are not valid. It is noted in the judgment that Singer failed to address the State's concerns, and that it is the job of the court to weigh the arguments made, rather than to make arguments for parties. So, perhaps if Singer was to address the State's concerns with new evidence the judgment could be appealed.

IMHO, on the basis of the information available, the court did its job properly. The court certainly didn't seek to punish "nerds". There is no evidence whatsoever that the prison officials did, either.


RC

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I am fully on the side of the jailers, here.

The A-series (AD&D modules) are practically an instruction manual for how to escape captivity and wreak violent havoc.

Similarly, GURPS Cyberpunk was rightly seized by the FBI back in the day. Subversive hacker black-hat bastards.

 

[Raven Crowking]

It's all well and good to say, "If I ran the prison, they wouldn't have air-conditioning/cable TV/running water/etc." but one group that would pretty vociferously disagree is prison guards.

Prison should certainly not be a place you want to be, but it's not in the best interests of anyone to have it full of hot, bored, angry criminals who have absolutely no reason NOT to riot.

Point taken.

But, in my case, you might note that I said nothing about removing AC, running water, educational opportunities, job training, books, etc.

If the prison were to allow activities like D&D, it would make far more sense for the prison to determine who was placed in a position of authority. I.e., the prison could sponsor volunteer outside GMs or guards as GMs, so that access to gaming could be a priviledge earned by good behaviour.

Allowing prisoners to have control over their own means of "escape" from prison reality is detrimental to the goals of prisons.


RC

 

[nedjer]

Prisons aren't there to punish or rehabilitate. Prison environments have been shown to add lesions to the areas of the brain controlling higher cognitive function and to reduce the physical size of brain tissues/ regions responsible for controlling emotion and the integration of cognitive functions. As the majority of prisoners already have mental health problems that's basically throwing cans of butane on a fire.

If prisoners' parole and early release was linked to equipping them with the skills to become employable and purposeful (not chain gang) physical work, they'd be sitting watching the Open University instead of playing D&D (though D&D has educational merit).

Lets say a 3 strikes and out bank robber who didn't injure anyone; down for life at 20 years minimum. OR 8 years of inexpensive distance learning, a general degree or a diploma, and out paying taxes after 10 years.

But that would save the taxpayer 300K minimum and victims could see that the prisoner has had to change and work damned hard to cut the sentence.

But what would go in the tabloid papers instead, where would politicians go for stirring populist speeches and how would prison companies make profits?

Overall, we send people to prison mainly to make money for the companies that, in turn, support our pension funds and investment portfolios. Which essentially makes most of us complicit in torturing the mentally ill for profit

 

[Alzrius]

The decision is affirmed, in part, upon the State's reasonable concern

that D&D “could foster an inmate’s obsession with escaping from the real life, correctional environment,” placing both the legitimate penological goals of prison security and inmate rehabilitation in peril.​