What's in a Game?

Kevin T. Singer is currently serving a life sentence for first-degree intentional homicide in Wisconsin's Waupun prison. The crime that Singer committed was that he intentionally bludgeoned his sister's boyfriend to death with a sledgehammer. Found guilty in 2002, he's been serving his term out in relative peace. Recently however, one of his favorite pastimes was denied to him due to a court ruling that the pastime he was pursuing "promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling." Now on the surface this seems like a potential description of some aspects of NFL football but the prison officials and courts were actually referring to the fantasy role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons.

Long a cult favorite among role playing game enthusiasts, Dungeons and Dragons (or D&D) is a 'game' in which players have characters whom they control and who have powers that often delve into fantasy. The purpose of the game is to create adventures in which the characters participate. Unlike traditional boardgames, depending on the rules a particular group is following, a narrator will describe the game to the players and the players will accordingly control their players through a roll of the dice. Games of this type can become more and more complex depending upon the experience of the players or how much time the players have to work out this particular 'fantasy'. Generally populated with characters elves and orcs and the like D&D has been a cult favorite of players for many years and in fact, Singer stated that he had been playing the game since he was a child (he is now 33).

Now the arguement that was given by the Prison and the courts was that games of this sort could promote gang-mentality among prisoners and was conducive to violence among inmates. This conclusion was reached when an anonymous note was given to prison officials expressing concern at the fact that Singer and three other inmates were forming a 'gang' focused on playing the game. The law cracked down and within a short time, all material which Singer had related to the games (including books, magazines and a 96-page manuscript he had written in almost a story-like format) were confiscated. Now while I agree that within the letter of the law the prison and courts acted properly, I think it's a bit much to crack down on a fantasy game where prisoners are limited to using their imagination (more or less) than anything else.

I mean from what I know, I don't think prisons currently ban playing basketball or football, they certainly allow card games and other recreational activities so then why simply crack down on D&D. Perhaps it's the nerdy part of me coming to the forefront but if it's okay for prisoners to play football (which is also a competitive sport that could be considered 'gang'-forming) then why not ban it? Is the arguement in that case that football doesn't promote 'escapist' tendencies? Perhaps it is a very naive thought but my understanding is that no one actually wants to be in prison; so doesn't it make sense that regardless of whether they are playing checkers or D&D that every single prisoner would be harboring escapist tendencies?

At present, appeals courts have denied Singer's charges that his first amendment rights are being stifled. The courts also argue that it's within a prison's rights to deny prisoners their right to certain forms of entertainment since prison is supposed to be a form of punishment and not a form of recreation. If that's the case then perhaps it makes a little bit of sense but given the rationale of wanting prevent gang mentality or to curb escapist tendencies makes me feel like they are reaching for straws in making their decision.