[karajorma]

http://www.insidebayarea.com/weird-news/ci_14265049

A man serving life in prison for first-degree intentional homicide lost his legal battle today to play Dungeons & Dragons behind bars.

Kevin T. Singer filed a federal lawsuit against officials at Wisconsin's Waupun prison, arguing that a policy banning all Dungeons & Dragons material violated his free speech and due process rights.

Prison officials instigated the Dungeons & Dragons ban among concerns that playing the game promoted gang-related activity and was a threat to security. Singer challenged the ban but the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld it as a reasonable policy.

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures, often working together as a group, with the help of complicated rules.

Singer, 33, has been a devoted player of the fantasy role-playing game since he was a child, according to the court ruling. After the ban went into effect, prison officials confiscated dozens of Dungeons & Dragons books and magazines in his cell as well as a 96-page manuscript he had written detailing a potential scenario for the game that players could act out.

Prison officials enacted the ban in 2004 after an inmate sent an anonymous letter expressing concern about Singer and three other inmates forming a "gang" focused around playing the game.

Singer was told by prison officials that he could not keep the materials because Dungeons & Dragons "promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling," according to the ruling. The prison later developed a more comprehensive policy against all types of fantasy games, the court said.

The appeals court said the prison's policy was reasonable and did not violate Singer's rights.

"After all, punishment is a fundamental aspect of imprisonment, and prisons may choose to punish inmates by preventing them from participating in some of their favorite recreations," the court said.

Singer was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 after being found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of his sister's boyfriend. The man was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer.

Department of Corrections spokesman John Dipko said the department was pleased with the decision and will continue to enforce rules that are designed to maintain a safe environment.

Singer's court-appointed attorney, W.C. Turner Herbert of North Carolina, also did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

As an ex-player I do have to smile at the idea of dangerous gangs of D&D players forming. Not to mention laughing at the idea that the prison guards think you can stop someone playing role-playing games simply by taking the books away.

[Scotty]

Watch the discussion unfold in real-time (sort of) on the CBT forums as well.

http://www.classicbattletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=63302.msg1514273#new

[Sushi]

This is the reaction that makes the most sense to me so far:

http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1524306&cid=30904378

Prison guards have no way of knowing if such a behavior is just a game, overt gang activity, or a game being used to hide gang activity. To strive for safety and control, they must err toward interpreting events as the worst possible scenario.

And yes, I just cited a slashdot comment. So sue me.

[Thaeris]

So Martin, should I shank that ugly **** over there?

Martin: I dunno... roll a D20?

 

[Mongoose]

PA's take on things

[Aardwolf]

Prison guards have no way of knowing if such a behavior is just a game, overt gang activity, or a game being used to hide gang activity. To strive for safety and control, they must err toward interpreting events as the worst possible scenario.

That sounds like "zero-tolerance" bull****... despite the fact that it's within the context of a prison, people need to learn to make a goddamn judgement call, rather than prohibiting and severely penalizing anything remotely suspect. And if necessary, confer with others / investigate the matter.

[blackhole]

despite the fact that it's within the context of a prison

It's a f---ing PRISON dude. The guy took a sledgehammer to someone's face and your fighting for his right to have fun?!

[Flaser]

This is what I hate about America. You utter lack of mercy. You take any admission of guilt and wrongdoing as a license to make the perpetrator's life a living hell regardless what good that does for society's safety or the perp's discouragement from further infraction.

[Mongoose]

This is what I hate about America. You utter lack of mercy. You take any admission of guilt and wrongdoing as a license to make the perpetrator's life a living hell regardless what good that does for society's safety or the perp's discouragement from further infraction.

ITT the actions of one or two people are generalized to 300 million.

[Turambar]

Also, our prisons are privatized.  It actually makes good sense financially for prisons to keep inmates as long as possible, and make it as difficult as possible for a released prisoner to reintegrate with society, since not being able to hold down a job makes it more likely that they will commit another crime.

there's no fiscal gain (for prisons) in rehabilitation

[SpardaSon21]

Prisons are privatized?  Not in my state they aren't.  They're also in an appalling condition, with the prison medical system in receivership, and federal judges breathing down the state government's neck about overcrowded prison populations.

[Scotty]

My town has four five prisons.  Prisons are not privatized.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

On the contrary most federal prisons are.  Your local prisons aren't.  State prisons vary from you guessed it state to state.  Building and running prisons is a huge industry in the US.