Wisconsin Prisons Ban D&D Over "Gang" Worries, Courts Agree

The violent nerd movement has suffered a serious setback. Yesterday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Dungeons & Dragons ban in Wisconsin prisons. According to court records, prison officials were concerned that inmates were forming a "gang" around the fantasy role-playing game.

The suit was brought to federal court by Kevin Singer, an inmate serving a life sentence for first-degree homocide at Wisconsin's Waupun prison. In 2004, officials confiscated Singer's collection of game manuals and other nerd paraphernalia, as well as 96 pages of dungeonmaster's notes.

Singer argued that the ban violated his First Amendment rights but was told that he could not keep the materials because "D&D promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling." While the specific targeting of Gygax and Arneson's masterwork might not have passed constitutional muster, the prison later adopted a general policy against "all types of fantasy games." As such, the 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.

So there you have it, geek felons, leveling up is a privilege, not a right. And your clandestine efforts to steal control of the joint from the Aryans and Nortenos by forming a nerd herd have been thwarted, so say farewell to that +6 Shank of Many Uses and stop carving polyhedra out of soap. Too bad, 'The Rolling 20s' is a great name for a prison gang.