[Icelander]

Originally Posted by acrosome

One tidbit that I recall is that prisoners are not allowed to sleep (or even lay down) except during designated hours- 2100 to 0600 or whatever. They must stand or sit. Military regulation specifies that they have to be engaged in productive labor 40 hours a week (if possible). As far as socializing and mixing I think it's vaguely similar to other prisons in that it varies. What I read implies that as in other prisons there are custody grades that run from trusty all the way up to maximum. I.e. for most prisoners there is a common area, but I recall a (possibly apocryphal) story of a Leavenworth prisoner so mean he was sentenced to "no human contact" for the remainder of his sentence after he killed someone or something.

Okay, Chase Taylor would have been an examplary prisoner, of course. Except that displays of Bully, bigotry or meanness against the weak and defenceless will trigger his Intolerance against bullies and bigots, and can sometimes provoke him to Bad Temper.

Enter storyline of movies like Cool Hand Luke or The Last Castle.

So, in a perfectly run prison with respectful, professional and omniscient guards maintaining order at all times, never allowing prisoners to abuse each other, Taylor would have come through as a model inmate, favourite of all the guards.*

If bullying, threats, ethnic or religious prejudice or other form of bigotry are common, however, Taylor is nearly certain to have clashed with whomever is engaging in it. The severity of such clashes depends on whether the bullies or bigots are guards, an embroynic prison gang (officially not present at USDB, but hard to prevent tribalism from forming), just a lone tough guy prisoner or maybe a frightened, lone prisoner presenting a tough front.

Worst case, Taylor gets into a fight with the guards after intervening when a bad apple among the guard force was indulging his Bully (and/or racism or other bigotry). Second to worst case, he earns the enmity of influential prisoners at the head of the closest thing to a prison gang, which probably means that he gets into several fights, but the guards may be inclined to listen to claims of self-defence for some of it.

Best case, it never gets above the use of Intimidate on both sides.

*Handsome, Charisma 2, Silver Star, talents that affect soldiers (especially recon specialists, stalkers and rangers) and are good for an extra +8 in the best case (such as with a professional soldier in a special operation MOS), and at least +4 for any guards who view themselves as career military. Goes a long way toward getting a positive reaction even with a Criminal Record and a -3 Reputation for having been convicted of a murder of some poor truck driver.

Originally Posted by acrosome

For more details, I just googled "daily life at leavenworth disciplinary barrracks" and had a whole page full of appropriate-sounding hits, including this one about Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning.

Ooh, thanks. This is all great info. Touch football, I note. I'm sure that never leads to fights...

Now I just need to figure out what movies and TV shows they allow. Civilian prisons generally don't show R-rated films or the TV show equivalent, but I wonder if PG-13 is allowed.

Edit: I discover that they have satellite cable and are allowed to watch the NFL. Correctional officers can block certain channels due to concerns over objectionable content, which led to them blocking Fox for the entire time that Prison Break aired. This caused much sadness, as it was blocked even while other programming was on, including the all-important NFL games that Fox was showing.

Could Taylor have seen the recent spate of superhero movies or would he have missed them entirely? What TV shows can he have seen and which are unfamiliar to him?

What pop culture references from 2011-2017 will he recognise and which will just fly over his head?

Originally Posted by acrosome

A side note-- I read the earlier discussion, and US military criminal prisoners are very much still in the military with rank E-1. That they are not allowed to salute is immaterial- that's part of their punishment. But sentences read like this: "reduction in grade to E1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and incarceration for X years." And at the end of their sentence they are dishonorably discharged. But they are grade E1 in the disciplinary barracks, to keep them susceptible to military discipline, meaning the usual things are aren't normally considered crimes (or at least violations) in civilian life do still apply to them. For instance, uniform standards like being clean shaven every day, and keeping a neat room, etc.

Well, thrash and you have exactly the opposite take on this. Kind of makes it hard for me to decide. Maybe, though, the philosophical distinction gives enough latitude for different NPCs (and the PC who was incarcerated there) to each have their own interpretation of his current status. He hasn't yet been dishonourably discharge and legally, should still be serving out his sentence, but is temporarily in the custody of a task force comprising Army MI, DIA and various Homeland Security elements.

As far as it is likely to come up in play, I understand that the correct form of address is 'Prisoner [Lastname]', he does not salute (and is not allowed to). Instead of a uniform, he probably has some form of prison wear, but is not wearing it anymore.

Edit: I've now read interviews with a correctional officer at USDB Ft. Leavenworth, two former prisoners there and a series of forum threads for ex-cons, family members and suchlike. Apparently, at USDB Ft. Leavenworth, the incarcerated are addressed as 'Inmate [Last Name'. In other military prisons, including in a RCF in Germany, JRCF at Leavenworth and a naval brig where one inmate spent time during the court martial, they were addressed as 'Prisoner [Last Name].

Also, around 2011-2014, NCIS, Fargo and The Real Housewives of Atlanta were the most popular TV shows. Three TVs to a housing unit, one for 'Whites', one for 'Brothers' and one for 'Latino' (also includes most Other). The 'Brothers' one is usually turned to BET or ESPN, the 'Latino' one to Univision. 'Whites' watch Fox (except when it was blocked because of Prison Break), various reality TV, NCIS, Fargo and some science fiction TV (whatever that means to an aggressively straight-laced, jockish, anti-geek former military officer).

Fridays are movie nights and the Avengers and other MCU movies were shown, within a few months of release. Chess, Monopoly, card games, a few board games I didn't recognise and, amusingly, D&D, are the most common recreations outside of workouts and reading. Softball was banned after 2010. Touch football does indeed lead to fights. Basketball court and job track. USDB Ft. Leavenworth is the only federal facility still allowing free weights in the weight room. And there is no Internet, at all, ever.

No commisary either, but you are allowed to write in monthly orders for $25 worth of Health and Comfort items, from some limited list. Kool-Aid knockoff, ramen, peanut butter, shampoo. I'm still checking if I can find a comprehensive list, including whether you could buy candy (and which kinds) or soda (Coke or Pepsi?).