Court Upholds a Ban on Fantacy Games in Wisconsin Prisons
On January 25, 2010, the 7TH U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ban on Dungeons & Dragons in Wisconsin prisons.
The suit was brought by an inmate by the name of Kevin Singer who is serving a life sentence for first-degree homicide in Wisconsin's Waupun prison. In 2004, Waupun prison officials confiscated Singer's collection of game manuals, dungeonmaster notes and other paraphernalia. Prison officials argued that Singer could not keep the materials because Dungeons & Dragons promoted, inter alia, competitive hostility, addictive escape and violence. Thereafter, the prison adopted a ban on all types of fantasy games.
Singer argued that the ban violated his First Amendment rights. The Court ruled that the prison's policy was reasonable and did not violate Singer's rights.