Dungeons & Dragons Prison Ban Upheld

[Brass Scorpion]

Dungeons & Dragons Prison Ban Upheld

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/us/27dungeons.html?_r=1

[Drew da Destroya]

Professor Slomin's comment pretty much sums up my feelings here...

“Ideally, you should really have more evidence that there is a genuine harm before you restrict something”

[scadugenga]

The ridiculousness of the ruling makes me shake my head.

While I certainly don't condone what he did, the ruling seems really laced with the public insanity that surrounded D&D in the 80's.

So it's okay for gangs to exist in prison, but it's not okay for someone to roleplay, because it might lead to "gang-like" behavior.

Riiiiiight.

[Grailkeeper]

The ridiculousness of the ruling makes me shake my head.

While I certainly don't condone what he did, the ruling seems really laced with the public insanity that surrounded D&D in the 80's.

So it's okay for gangs to exist in prison, but it's not okay for someone to roleplay, because it might lead to "gang-like" behavior.

Riiiiiight.

I don't think they asy its "ok" for gangs to exist in prison- measures which cut down on gang like behaviour are to reduce gang activity.

I cannot fullyy comment on this as the link to the opinion didn't work but when this last came out I remember part of the problem was gambling. the claiman may be lyng that he was going to use the dice for Dnd , or at least solely for Dnd, or as always with prison- there is the risk other prisoners may take the dice (either by theft or by force) and use it for DND.

Prison Authorities have a very difficult job, and should be allowed enforce their authority however they see fit, provided it does not infringe the prisoners basic human rights. Many things which we on the outside take for granted are banned on the inside.

That being said on my only visit to prison (yes I'm playing that card) I learned that Prison officers have to turn a blind eye to many problems or risk getting a +2 shiv to the back. This may be more of an Irish prison problem where overcrowding is a MASSIVE problem and Gangs a new growing one. So whether or not this ban operates in practise is another matter. Surely they cannot stop him either way from roll playing in a way that does not demand dice