Court upholds D&D ban in prisons
A reader highlighted the post at the Volokh Conspiracy:
In a decision issued today (here is an alternate link to the decision), the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a Wisconsin prison’s rule forbidding inmates to play Dungeons & Dragons or possess D&D publications and materials [HT: Josh Blackman].
The prison’s rationale for the ban is that playing D&D might stimulate “gang activity” by inmates. But the government conceded that there is no evidence that Dungeons and Dragons actually had stimulated gang activity in the past, either in this prison or elsewhere. The only evidence for the supposedly harmful effects of Dungeons and Dragons were a few cases from other states where playing the game supposedly led inmates to indulge in “escapism” and become divorced from reality
Hell now I know one can be banned from playing D&D in prison, I’m going to start obeying the law. No more bank robberies for me if it means I can’t visit the Prime Material Plane!
Mind you I am surprised the prison authorities needed to ban D&D playing in prison. I would have thought the high risk of being beaten to a pulp by the other prisoners would be a suitable deterrent!
January 27th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
That would be some slightly unorthodox ‘gang activity’, one might think.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
So D&D’s out – what about Call of Cthulhu?
[DPF: And if they turn that one down, claim Cthulhu is your religion, and you are facing religious persecution!]
January 27th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Stop right there criminal scum, pay the court a fine or serve your sentence, your stolen goods are now forfeit!
January 27th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
What the hell are these bastards doing with computers anyway?? Take em away and give them sledge hammers and rocks to break.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
It will be the Pen and Paper based game.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
lol the poor bastards.
D&D sounds like a good way to pass the time.. maybe even keep the brain active?! never played it myself.. but yeah.. sounds like an ok jail activity.
more fun than blowing members of the aryan brotherhood in order to stay alive!
January 27th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
You obviously haven’t played 4th Edition.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
The courts are demonstrating unusual taste. It’s AD&D (Advanced …) that is required, not the inferior D&D product.
A little role playing might go down well in prison, especially if the crim needs to play a 14th level Lawful Good Paladin called Cedric. To society’s advantage – the adventures as a looting, raping and pillaging orc might be recorded and used against them in the psych evaluation. Early parole rejected on the grounds that the incident with the pixie displayed deep rooted emotional problems expressed through violence.
It might be best if the prison guards are not invited to play also.
January 27th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
But in an interesting twist, the 9th Circuit has allowed Bunnies and Burrows.
January 27th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Are they allowed to play Crim City?
January 27th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
It seems that who ever is in charge of the Wisconsin prison comes from the same school of thought as my High School Principle who after asking if my friends and I were aware that D&D is considered by many as being Satanic asked if I had access to any firearms.
January 27th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
This will be a film. Shawshank Redemption plus Lord of the Rings = Surefire Hit. Excuse me while I call my agent.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
This is …an outrage. I will send …4 letters of complaint to the … prison superintendant.
I would have thought for at least on of the people playing there would be some basic literacy skills being worked out? I note from the article they didnt actually have any evidence it was bad; may well be the hidden hand of some god botherer.
January 27th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
They should not be playing anything in prison. They should be breaking rocks for 12 hours a day.
January 27th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Are there that many D&D players in jail ? I wonder what crimes they committed…
January 27th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
LOL, does that include, Magic – The Gathering?
January 27th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
So they should ban any activity that encourages fantasising about imaginary beings, and that have members organising themselves in groups.
Oh wait, this is America, so ban any such activity, but not any such religious activity.
April 15th, 2010 at 12:41 am
I wonder if GURPS is allowed? They could play using GURPS rules in a D&D setting. Though that shit probably wouldn’t fly in jail.