4 ms·

I'm ready to take the hit for asking a very stupid question: why are dice considered contraband? Wouldn't it make more sense to allow inmates access to dice an

I'm ready to take the hit for asking a very stupid question: why are dice considered contraband? Wouldn't it make more sense to allow inmates access to dice and real spinners? They're human beings with brains. Wouldn't correction officers prefer that they spent their time playing games instead of thinking of ways to escape or "cause trouble"?

vkou 9y ago
Because gambling is a moral failing, and prison is supposed to give inmates time to reflect on their moral failings.
- walshemj 9y ago
  Not sure my "scary" great great uncle who was an off course book maker in brumigum pre ww2 would agree with you Then again not every one has quite the same take on peaky Blinders as I do ;-)
politician 9y ago
The prisons want to ban gambling and currency counters (coins, chips, etc) in order to disrupt the rise of debt-based gang activity. "The house always wins" turns a prison into an organized structure of debtors and owners fairly rapidly, I'd imagine. And you can't fault the far fewer security guards from wanting to avoid a face-off with a unified enemy.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > The prisons want to ban gambling and currency counters (coins, chips, etc) in order to disrupt the rise of debt-based gang activity. Well, also because in most states gambling is itself (entirely or, at least, without a whole lot of bureaucratic compliance stuff) illegal, and it would be very odd to reverse that prohibition in prisons.
- pessimizer 9y ago
  Well, there's no house in non-casino gambling; it's just in the nature of gambling that some people will lose and some people will win, and some people will borrow money to continue to play when they shouldn't. The only mechanism to force repayment of loans without government is violence or monopoly.
  - nybble41 9y ago
    The only mechanism to force repayment of loans without government is violence or monopoly. Nonsense. First, while this is phrased to position government as an alternative to violence, forcing repayment of loans with government involves both violence and a monopoly—a monopoly on "legitimate" violence being the main factor which all governments have in common. Second, government cannot be relied upon to force repayment of loans (e.g. they allow debts to be discharged in bankruptcy). Third, social pressure can effectively force people to repay their loans without resorting to violence. As things stand today, the main factor that keeps people from skipping out on loans is not the threat that the government might get involved, or a more general fear of violence, but rather the impact it would have on their credit score—in other words, the risk of acquiring a reputation as someone who does not repay their debts, and consequently losing access to future credit.
VLM 9y ago
I was in both two large corporations and the Army all of which sometimes are disturbingly similar to prison. The way the world works is someone does something stupid or incomprehensible where the most minor detail includes topic X. The report of the foolishness goes up the infinite hierarchy of micromanagers to someone who wants to make a statement to his superior of his great leadership skills by permanently "solving" the problem by banning whatever topic X is. Then months or years later the individual event of stupidity is long forgotten but the weird written order against topic X will remain for all eternity...
- paulie_a 9y ago
  And cynically this is how a bill becomes a law forever I can't find the relevant video clip, but it's from a school house rock parody
  - IIAOPSW 9y ago
    I think it was Stallman who described the basic politicians syllogism. Something must be done I am doing something Therefore something is being done
Spooky23 9y ago
Because craps and other dice games swing quickly and cause problems. Also the plastic can be sharpened into a point.

vkou 9y ago

Because gambling is a moral failing, and prison is supposed to give inmates time to reflect on their moral failings.

walshemj 9y ago
Not sure my "scary" great great uncle who was an off course book maker in brumigum pre ww2 would agree with you Then again not every one has quite the same take on peaky Blinders as I do ;-)

politician 9y ago

The prisons want to ban gambling and currency counters (coins, chips, etc) in order to disrupt the rise of debt-based gang activity. "The house always wins" turns a prison into an organized structure of debtors and owners fairly rapidly, I'd imagine. And you can't fault the far fewer security guards from wanting to avoid a face-off with a unified enemy.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> The prisons want to ban gambling and currency counters (coins, chips, etc) in order to disrupt the rise of debt-based gang activity. Well, also because in most states gambling is itself (entirely or, at least, without a whole lot of bureaucratic compliance stuff) illegal, and it would be very odd to reverse that prohibition in prisons.
pessimizer 9y ago
Well, there's no house in non-casino gambling; it's just in the nature of gambling that some people will lose and some people will win, and some people will borrow money to continue to play when they shouldn't. The only mechanism to force repayment of loans without government is violence or monopoly.
- nybble41 9y ago
  The only mechanism to force repayment of loans without government is violence or monopoly. Nonsense. First, while this is phrased to position government as an alternative to violence, forcing repayment of loans with government involves both violence and a monopoly—a monopoly on "legitimate" violence being the main factor which all governments have in common. Second, government cannot be relied upon to force repayment of loans (e.g. they allow debts to be discharged in bankruptcy). Third, social pressure can effectively force people to repay their loans without resorting to violence. As things stand today, the main factor that keeps people from skipping out on loans is not the threat that the government might get involved, or a more general fear of violence, but rather the impact it would have on their credit score—in other words, the risk of acquiring a reputation as someone who does not repay their debts, and consequently losing access to future credit.

VLM 9y ago

I was in both two large corporations and the Army all of which sometimes are disturbingly similar to prison. The way the world works is someone does something stupid or incomprehensible where the most minor detail includes topic X. The report of the foolishness goes up the infinite hierarchy of micromanagers to someone who wants to make a statement to his superior of his great leadership skills by permanently "solving" the problem by banning whatever topic X is. Then months or years later the individual event of stupidity is long forgotten but the weird written order against topic X will remain for all eternity...

paulie_a 9y ago
And cynically this is how a bill becomes a law forever I can't find the relevant video clip, but it's from a school house rock parody
- IIAOPSW 9y ago
  I think it was Stallman who described the basic politicians syllogism. Something must be done I am doing something Therefore something is being done

Spooky23 9y ago

Because craps and other dice games swing quickly and cause problems. Also the plastic can be sharpened into a point.