I am posting this here as I thought it would be interesting to raise awareness, and to get input from anyone at Posthuman who may be able to offer insight, assistance or (more importantly) time.
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?622589-RPGing-in-prison
I just got out of one of the most insanely violent prisons in the SE USA. The one thing I NEVER expected to find in prison was RPGs - but there you have it. Lots of it. Every weekend in every building there is a group of people playing DnD. These guys don't just do pen and paper - they do it without computers or the internet. I've been in RPGs since the 80's and I can't imagine running a game without some kind of computer assistance. I wouldn't swear the DnD guys in my dorm saved my life, but they did prevent me from experiencing unnecessary violence or robbery. They are not exactly a gang, but they're a group, and without one, you are toast. So since I've got out, I've been mailing in stuff, character sheets, free adventures and the like. Stuff that is easy for us and impossible for them. I'm not really interested in the whole "you're in prison you should suffer" bit. That's not the topic of this thread and such will be ignored. I'm interested in the cultural unity of RPG folks and whether or not others would be interested in helping out. To be clear: NEVER send people in prison money. It's always a scam. I'm talking about printing out stuff and mailing it. Hypothetically. Should I have the energy to set up a site for such things. (Yeah, people in prison get on the web, but they don't have printers) Or just general talk, if anyone has any questions.The thread itself offers a range of views, mostly involving the positive role RPGs can play. I know that to provide EP in such circumstances would be easy as copies can be made by gamers. But the issues of dice and depictions of weapons would perhaps need to be considered before sending in all sorts of materials. This is not a call to arms! I am attempting to open up avenues of dialogue to further the discussion in the hope that the RPG community can work to attain a concrete usable vision going forward. Thoughts?
