D&D Banned In American Prison


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Dark Archive

One of my players sent me this LINK.

Spoiler:
That is so ridiculous! Gangs! This makes me so mad! I'm gonna call my the rest of my players and we are going to go pop a cap in someone's a$$! ;)


I seriously want to hurt someone.


<sits down and eats some popcorn waiting for HD to come in and drop his two bits on the topic>


squeezes into HD-ready fallout shelter and prepares for the impending firestorm


Freehold DM wrote:
squeezes into HD-ready fallout shelter and prepares for the impending firestorm

Can I pull my seat in there? I got some popcorn.


Urizen wrote:
Freehold DM wrote:
squeezes into HD-ready fallout shelter and prepares for the impending firestorm
Can I pull my seat in there? I got some popcorn.

Yeah, sure, there's room. Put on these sunglasses though. There will be a second sun in the sky before long.


Burn!

Dark Archive

Inching towards the door...

Forgive my ignorance my good sirs, but who is HD? And what is the minimum safe distance I should be from here when this HD arrives?

Glancing about nervously...

:)


Freehold DM wrote:
Urizen wrote:
Freehold DM wrote:
squeezes into HD-ready fallout shelter and prepares for the impending firestorm
Can I pull my seat in there? I got some popcorn.
Yeah, sure, there's room. Put on these sunglasses though. There will be a second sun in the sky before long.

UV Mirrorshades ... check.


Lord oKOyA wrote:

Inching towards the door...

Forgive my ignorance my good sirs, but who is HD? And what is the minimum safe distance I should be from here when this HD arrives?

Glancing about nervously...

:)

Houstonderek. At least 100 feet.

Dark Archive

Maybe he should play Pathfinder. :)


Whats the big deal.
He's a CRIMINAL. He lost all rights and freedoms when he took another life.
Quite worrying about these losers and their civil rights after they have demonstrated a total disregard for the life,rights and dignity of others.
So he cant play D&D then he shouldn't have killed his victim and put her family through h3ll mourning her lose. He's alive and can see his family or talk to them, his victims family will never be able to do that ever again.

Please do not misunderstand this post to be in any way advocating inhuman treatment for our prisoners, we as a society are better than that, however the free medical,free education for lifers,free cable,entertainment and other things are not makeing prison what it should be.

I'm going to quite ranting now.
*steps off soapbox*

Dark Archive

Yeah, I was a little confused as to how playing D&D is a First Ammendment issue. The only way I could see it is a freedom of association issue.

Dark Archive

Garydee wrote:


Houstonderek. At least 100 feet.

Thanks for the info/warning.

It is quite impressive when one has an acronym (apparently well known, but not by myself) for his handle... :)

Dark Archive

For certain, I do not mourn the fate of Mr. Singer. My objection is to the portrayal/characterization/perception of the game that I enjoy.

EDIT: If they had banned ALL games instead of singling out D&D...


Steven Tindall wrote:

Whats the big deal.

He's a CRIMINAL. He lost all rights and freedoms when he took another life.
Quite worrying about these losers and their civil rights after they have demonstrated a total disregard for the life,rights and dignity of others.
So he cant play D&D then he shouldn't have killed his victim and put her family through h3ll mourning her lose. He's alive and can see his family or talk to them, his victims family will never be able to do that ever again.

Please do not misunderstand this post to be in any way advocating inhuman treatment for our prisoners, we as a society are better than that, however the free medical,free education for lifers,free cable,entertainment and other things are not makeing prison what it should be.

I'm going to quite ranting now.
*steps off soapbox*

Just so I understand - because he's a imprisoned criminal or an imprisoned murderer?


Lord oKOyA wrote:
For certain, I do not mourn the fate of Mr. Singer. My objection is to the portrayal/characterization/perception of the game that I enjoy.

Like the Satanic Panic of the 80's?


Lord oKOyA wrote:
Garydee wrote:


Houstonderek. At least 100 feet.

Thanks for the info/warning.

It is quite impressive when one has an acronym (apparently well known, but not by myself) for his handle... :)

Houstonderek was an avid D&D player when he was in prison himself. He's really going to hit the roof.

Dark Archive

Urizen wrote:


Like the Satanic Panic of the 80's?

Precisely.

Liberty's Edge

Apparently no one has told these prisons about the therapeutic uses of roleplaying games. They've been used in many countries to prevent violence.

Dark Archive

Stardust has a point. Back in 1991 the CDCs released a report about the cathartic effects of RPGs and how they actually lessened violence by giving a social acceptable outlet for violent urges. If you can take your anger out on an imaginary orc, you are less likely to go and shoot your boss.


stardust wrote:
Apparently no one has told these prisons about the therapeutic uses of roleplaying games. They've been used in many countries to prevent violence.

Unless you touch my lucky d20 and somehow cause it to roll bad. As an atheist, it's my only superstition. Then I'd have to kill you. :P

Sovereign Court

They can still totally play, they just don't have books. Just free form it ya crazy murderer!


I greatly disagree with this. I know that they are a prisoner and they lost their rights, but they get flipping cable! I know someone who is wrongfully in (politics explained on another thread), and he said they removed all dice where he is at because the gangs were making d20s into gambling games for cigarettes. I would think it total crap if they removed the books though (they still let them play world of darkness stuff as they feel they can get by without dice).

I guess some ******s ruin it for the whole, just like everything else.

Liberty's Edge

I guess the Puritans were right.

Dice and cards are the root of all evil.


Steven Tindall wrote:

Whats the big deal.

He's a CRIMINAL. He lost all rights and freedoms when he took another life.
Quite worrying about these losers and their civil rights after they have demonstrated a total disregard for the life,rights and dignity of others.
So he cant play D&D then he shouldn't have killed his victim and put her family through h3ll mourning her lose. He's alive and can see his family or talk to them, his victims family will never be able to do that ever again.

Please do not misunderstand this post to be in any way advocating inhuman treatment for our prisoners, we as a society are better than that, however the free medical,free education for lifers,free cable,entertainment and other things are not makeing prison what it should be.

I'm going to quite ranting now.
*steps off soapbox*

With all due respect, while I would expect this sort of vitriol from a friend or family member of the victim, you're sounding a little hot under the collar about this.

The man murdered someone, yes. He has been tried, convicted, and sentenced according to law. His crime has been punished. Your statement that he has "lost all rights and freedoms" by killing another person is patently false. He still holds rights; they are simply much more limited.

While I agree that many prisons offer comforts I don't think prisoners require or should necessarily have, I think in this instance that banning the game is wrong. It can be a healthy outlet and is certainly a much better thing to have a prisoner doing in their spare time than other things I can think of, and unlike the cable television his D&D books aren't bought with the taxpayer dollar. He's going to be in a cell for the rest of his natural life for his crime. Playing an RPG to pass the next several decades doesn't seem to be too much to ask.

The Exchange

D20 fo' life my shiznits!


Fake Healer wrote:

D20 fo' life my shiznits!

Spins a chrome D20 w/.125 cm. rims on it

Dark Archive

Fake Healer wrote:

D20 fo' life my shiznits!

Word! :)


You know, my knee jerk reaction was to be outraged by this. Not that he lost the right, but the reason they cited for banning d&d. However, upon thinking about it more, I can see why a prison might have a problem with an activity that involves prisoners working together to defeat a common enemy, fiction or not.

The Exchange

Shadowborn wrote:

With all due respect, while I would expect this sort of vitriol from a friend or family member of the victim, you're sounding a little hot under the collar about this.

The man murdered someone, yes. He has been tried, convicted, and sentenced according to law. His crime has been punished. Your statement that he has "lost all rights and freedoms" by killing another person is patently false. He still holds rights; they are simply much more limited.

While I agree that many prisons offer comforts I don't think prisoners require or should necessarily have, I think in this instance that banning the game is wrong. It can be a healthy outlet and is certainly a much better thing to have a prisoner doing in their spare time than other things I can think of, and unlike the cable television his D&D books aren't bought with the taxpayer dollar. He's going to be in a cell for the rest of his natural life for his crime. Playing an RPG to pass the next several decades doesn't seem to be too much to ask.

Just as a thought here but....

No job to go to.
Free meals, albeit not the best faire.
Free TV and fitness equipment access.
Nothing but freetime to play D&D.
That sounds like Paradise, not prison. I do understand that you give up some things like being able to go out and do oddball stuff that we all take for granted and there is a real lack in the sex area, but damn that sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Dark Archive

Prince That Howls wrote:
I can see why a prison might have a problem with an activity that involves prisoners working together to defeat a common enemy, fiction or not.

QFT

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8

Fake Healer wrote:

That sounds like Paradise, not prison. I do understand that you give up some things like being able to go out and do oddball stuff that we all take for granted and there is a real lack in the sex area, but damn that sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Go out? Sex? Please explain these ideas to me.

Dark Archive Bella Sara Charter Superscriber

Fake Healer wrote:


Just as a thought here but....
No job to go to.
Free meals, albeit not the best faire.
Free TV and fitness equipment access.
Nothing but freetime to play D&D.
That sounds like Paradise, not prison. I do understand that you give up some things like being able to go out and do oddball stuff that we all take for granted and there is a real lack in the sex area, but damn that sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

That's not true. There's all the non-consensual sex you could ask for!

Grand Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Meh. I guess I just prefer criminals in prison not be allowed to have fun. Once he gets out, he can play all the D&D he wants.

-Skeld


Sebastian wrote:


That's not true. There's all the non-consensual sex you could ask for!

But... if you ask for it doesn't it stop being non-consensual?

Dark Archive

Prince That Howls wrote:
You know, my knee jerk reaction was to be outraged by this. Not that he lost the right, but the reason they cited for banning d&d. However, upon thinking about it more, I can see why a prison might have a problem with an activity that involves prisoners working together to defeat a common enemy, fiction or not.

And yet that would describe many other activities currently allowed within prisons.

Like I said earlier, I didn't post this as a commentary on the prison system itself or on the rights of prisoners, but as to the perception of D&D in the minds of those who don't understand.

PS. If I were to eliminate an activity that I find "dangerous" within the prison system, I would look at inmates spending enormous amounts time and energy working out in the provided gyms. I think that as a correctional officer within a prison, I would rather deal with the D&D players versus the hulking inmate who benches 300 lbs with ease. Just a thought.

Dark Archive

David Fryer wrote:
Stardust has a point. Back in 1991 the CDCs released a report about the cathartic effects of RPGs and how they actually lessened violence by giving a social acceptable outlet for violent urges. If you can take your anger out on an imaginary orc, you are less likely to go and shoot your boss.

This actually did come up during the trial - the prisoner provided evidence that D&D isn't harmful and can in fact be helpful, but the appellate court held that the issue was whether it was arbitrary or irrational to ban D&D, given that the organization of a D&D group is similar to the organization of a gang. I don't necessarily agree with this, I just wanted to clarify.

The Seventh Circuit wrote:
While Cardwell and his other affiants, including a literacy tutor and a role-playing game analyst, testified to a positive relationship between D&D and rehabilitation, none disputed or even acknowledged the prison officials’ assertions that there are valid reasons to fear a relationship running in the opposite direction. The prison officials pointed to a few published circuit court cases to give traction to their views. We view these cases as persuasive evidence that for some individuals, games like D&D can impede rehabilitation, lead to escapist tendencies, or result in more dire consequences.

Dark Archive

Skeld wrote:

Meh. I guess I just prefer criminals in prison not be allowed to have fun. Once he gets out, he can play all the D&D he wants.

-Skeld

Unhappy inmates = trouble for corrections officers.

I for one think that prison guards should not be subjected to any more risk, just so you can deny a person "fun".


Fake Healer wrote:
Shadowborn wrote:

With all due respect, while I would expect this sort of vitriol from a friend or family member of the victim, you're sounding a little hot under the collar about this.

The man murdered someone, yes. He has been tried, convicted, and sentenced according to law. His crime has been punished. Your statement that he has "lost all rights and freedoms" by killing another person is patently false. He still holds rights; they are simply much more limited.

While I agree that many prisons offer comforts I don't think prisoners require or should necessarily have, I think in this instance that banning the game is wrong. It can be a healthy outlet and is certainly a much better thing to have a prisoner doing in their spare time than other things I can think of, and unlike the cable television his D&D books aren't bought with the taxpayer dollar. He's going to be in a cell for the rest of his natural life for his crime. Playing an RPG to pass the next several decades doesn't seem to be too much to ask.

Just as a thought here but....

No job to go to.
Free meals, albeit not the best faire.
Free TV and fitness equipment access.
Nothing but freetime to play D&D.
That sounds like Paradise, not prison. I do understand that you give up some things like being able to go out and do oddball stuff that we all take for granted and there is a real lack in the sex area, but damn that sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Ever been to a real prison? I spent 30 days in the local lockup and I just about went out of my mind and I didn't have to deal with the racial gangs, people tring to steal my food or just use me in general. You really don't know the impact of your loss of freedom until you don't have it anymore. I would do allmost anything to keep myself from being sent to prison or even going back to county jail.

The whole thing sounds more like punishment more than trying to prevent gang activity. Like taking away tv privliges when the guards find drugs in your cell. The Warden saw the killer was having too much fun and decided to put an end to it.

Dark Archive Bella Sara Charter Superscriber

Prince That Howls wrote:
Sebastian wrote:


That's not true. There's all the non-consensual sex you could ask for!
But... if you ask for it doesn't it stop being non-consensual?

Indeed! Then it's all gravy.


Tarren Dei wrote:


Sex?

You see, when a boy has special feelings for a girl...


Fake Healer wrote:


Just as a thought here but....
No job to go to.
Free meals, albeit not the best faire.
Free TV and fitness equipment access.
Nothing but freetime to play D&D.
That sounds like Paradise, not prison. I do understand that you give up some things like being able to go out and do oddball stuff that we all take for granted and there is a real lack in the sex area, but damn that sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

You're welcome to get yourself into maximum security prison for life and then report back how well it's going for you. We'll wait...

Dark Archive

PulpCruciFiction wrote:
David Fryer wrote:
Stardust has a point. Back in 1991 the CDCs released a report about the cathartic effects of RPGs and how they actually lessened violence by giving a social acceptable outlet for violent urges. If you can take your anger out on an imaginary orc, you are less likely to go and shoot your boss.

This actually did come up during the trial - the prisoner provided evidence that D&D isn't harmful and can in fact be helpful, but the appellate court held that the issue was whether it was arbitrary or irrational to ban D&D, given that the organization of a D&D group is similar to the organization of a gang. I don't necessarily agree with this, I just wanted to clarify.

The Seventh Circuit wrote:
While Cardwell and his other affiants, including a literacy tutor and a role-playing game analyst, testified to a positive relationship between D&D and rehabilitation, none disputed or even acknowledged the prison officials’ assertions that there are valid reasons to fear a relationship running in the opposite direction. The prison officials pointed to a few published circuit court cases to give traction to their views. We view these cases as persuasive evidence that for some individuals, games like D&D can impede rehabilitation, lead to escapist tendencies, or result in more dire consequences.

Interesting. I wonder if the Seventh Courts definition of Escapist is the same as the rest of the worlds.

The Exchange

Prince That Howls wrote:
Sebastian wrote:


That's not true. There's all the non-consensual sex you could ask for!
But... if you ask for it doesn't it stop being non-consensual?

That's lawyer wording for you....

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

Could someone with more imagination or experience than I kindly explain how a D&D play group is like a gang?

(Now a D&D party, I could see. See that guy over there against the wall missing half an ear? That's Leon; he's our striker.)


Sad, very sad, I don't see how playing D&D can be linked with gang activity, is there a Nerd-core gang in prison?

I wonder if the ban is on ALL RPGs.

Maybe get them some Bella Sara CCG cards instead...?

Dark Archive

Well as Prince pointed out, the very idea of a group of inmates banding together against a common foe is one that could be very troubling to prison officials. As for how it encourages gang activity, you not only have the Thieve's Guilds but the party itself could be veiwed as gang, battling other gangs for dominance over other gangs.


I know people want prisoners to be punished, but remember that a good portion of those people will be coming back out ^_^, they still need their outlets or else they literally do go crazy o_o we don't need criminals coming out even more screwed up than they already are ^^

Yes there is precedence of folks doing 25-30 years coming out of jail and so forth... that squeaky chick that went after reagan is being let out, that guy who shot the pope in the 70s(?) is being let out.

So you have to ask yourself how badly can you punish someone yet still humane? O_o tough questions.

Dark Archive

David Fryer wrote:
Well as Prince pointed out, the very idea of a group of inmates banding together against a common foe is one that could be very troubling to prison officials. As for how it encourages gang activity, you not only have the Thieve's Guilds but the party itself could be veiwed as gang, battling other gangs for dominance over other gangs.

I'm a little confused here. Are you suggesting the prison's objections are "in game" concerns versus the gathering of prisoners around a table to partake in a game?

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