D&D group banned from a prison?

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I was just listening to Wait Wait.... Don't Tell Me (npr weekend show).

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=35

Apparently a D&D group was banned from meeting in the prison out of fear that they may be using their gaming meeting to plot (escapes?)


Is that counter productive? A lot of gamers aren't violent in real life and so long as they aren't actually figuring out a way to escape it keeps them rather easy to keep track of in real life (just check to see if they are still in the same room they were an hour ago).

 

Probably afraid that the wizard might get enough XP to learn a Teleport spell.

 

This is really hilarious, but I imagine the worry is that they may create a 'fictional campaign' in which the heros have to escape a prison-dungeon with eerie similarities to their actual prison. Guards may not notice if the guard patrols are replaced with wandering minotaurs or something.

 

Of course, that is pretty much harmless, because they're still locked down and real-life wandering minotaurs can beat them up.

Penny Arcade has a comic and newspost that relates to this. I quote:

 

I find this fascinating. I just can't imagine the cast of Oz sitting around rolling dice.

 

Don't you know? D&D is a gateway game to rape, murder, drug-abuse, and dancing! I'm sure prison is filled with D&D fans!

 

Hmm, let me dig in my memory to find a possible adventure by a really cheesy dungeon master and why prison authorities might find fault with it ...

 

Imagine all those dexterity checks in the showers :/

 

I wonder if Improved Evasion would help there?

 

All kidding aside, prison is --or should be -- a place for punishment, not fun. Also, the content of the game notwithstanding, the act of gathering could be used for all sorts of non-D&D related illegal stuff.

 

No doubt that true... OTOH, given a choice between having inmates playing RPG's to pass the time or lifting weights, I'd rather having them playing RPG's. Honestly, I think that weightlifting equipment should be banned from prisons. Prisons shouldn't be places to produce stronger, more physically fit criminals. Let'em play cards or board games or RPG's. But I get annoyed at the thought of seeing any con leaving prison looking like they're preparing to enter a bodybuilding contest.

 

Still, being a place of punishment doesn't mean everything needs to get stamped on. They need something to do, and if you're considering prison as a place of reform then there are a lot worse past times than D&D, which is a very social and fairly intelligent game. (is the guy in there for life? The original article seems to be missing)

Would RPG systems less focused on murdering people and taking their stuff be more acceptable? Maybe the prisoners could chillax to a game of Archipelago or Breaking the Ice or something...

Also, it kinda ignores that taking away all the books and stuff isn't going to stop anyone from gaming. So long as they can talk to each other, they can play those dastardly RPGs.

 

Depends on the crime. If it's a child rapist or a multiple murderer, I truly believe that everything does need to be stamped on. Here's an example of what I mean. No day passes, no exercise priviledges(sic), no conjugal visits, no hot food (just bologna sandwiches, apples, and water), no nothing for a piece of filth like this. Certainly no D&D.

 

LKD, while I agree with the spirit of your post, I don't let the spite cloud the practical implications of laying down the boot on someone years on end. The man's gotta have SOMETHING meaningfull to do while he's doing time, lest the guards have a raving lunatic in their hands.

Suggesting that he could be chained down completely if he gets to that point, however, isn't likely to become accepted policy anytime soon, no matter how much we'd think that's exactly what the man DESERVES.