Seventh Court of Appeal fails Intelligence check

sThe Seventh Court of Appeal has held up the ban of D&D being played by prisoners in a Wisconsin jail on the grounds it could encourage gang behavior.

It looks as if another sad chapter is opening in the already dim history of D&D, which has been misunderstood and scapegoated for years. It seems incredible that a game whose audience tends to be law-abiding citizens with productive lives including a high number of professionals and college educated people is being accused of promoting gang-related behavior. Particularly when there is absolutely no evidence of such, in fact I imagine most gang members would  rather be dead than caught playing something as nerdy as D&D.

It seems some activism is called for. Here's an article:
http://blastr.com/2011/01/judge-bans-dd-in-prison-rules-it-could-lead-to-gang-behavior.php

Here's a petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/d20d12d8/petition.html

Here's a possible address to the prisoner who is pressing the suit forward:

Kevin T. Smith
c/o Waupun Correctional Institution
200 S. Madison St, PO Box 351
Waupun, WI 53963-0351 


Or you could write the acting warden, Mr. Jim Schwochert, and tell him your thoughts and feelings on the matter.


I'm going to suggest something to directly challenge the ban. Mail Mr. Smith (or any prisoner at the facility in question) individual solo adventures,along with a character sheet and sheets with pre-rolled random rolls on them. Not recognizable immediately as D&D product and not involving getting together, confiscating such materials would definitely be a violation of First Amendment rights. I'm going to work on the idea further.