How to deal with prisoner's boredom?

[HexagonalBolts]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, am I being stupid? I can't work out how to get onto the alpha forum?

Secondly, my actual problem: how can I alleviate the prisoners boredom in the game, specifically the 'recreation' bar? I scheduled loads of free time and yard, built weight benches and built televisions, bookshelves and pool tables in a common room - but they still all seem to be bored as hell.

Thirdly, is there a wiki somewhere that we can edit and contribute towards to help other players?

[Illanair]

Basically you'll want to make their cells 2x3 tiles - put a bed, toilet, large window and a television (this one is the recreation one).

Do this and you'll reduce your fights to near null. Put up metal detectors so prisoners can't sneak into the kitchen and get knives and you've basically got a non-violence prison.

[HexagonalBolts]

Basically you'll want to make their cells 2x3 tiles - put a bed, toilet, large window and a television (this one is the recreation one).

Do this and you'll reduce your fights to near null. Put up metal detectors so prisoners can't sneak into the kitchen and get knives and you've basically got a non-violence prison.

Are there no other ways to reduce boredom other than televisions in cells?

[Hosky]

Hey,
I will be hopefully making some videos soon addressing these types of issues, until then:
The best way i have found without spending money is changing your prisons roster. Go into your reports in the bottom right hand corner of your screen and go to regime. Now if this isn't unlocked you need to hire an accounted, which again if you haven't unlocked you need to research it from the bureaucracy tab (and if you haven't unlocked that hire a warden).

Now just change the regime around to give the prisoners a nice balance. Example of boredness: Lets say your Shower time is at 7pm, then at 8pm its yard time, then at 9pm its shower time AGAIN, the prisoners wont want another shower so they get bored, same with sleep and etc.


In short form, just your prisons schedule to have a nice balance of activities:)
-Hope it helped
-Hosky

[HexagonalBolts]

Hey,
I will be hopefully making some videos soon addressing these types of issues, until then:
The best way i have found without spending money is changing your prisons roster. Go into your reports in the bottom right hand corner of your screen and go to regime. Now if this isn't unlocked you need to hire an accounted, which again if you haven't unlocked you need to research it from the bureaucracy tab (and if you haven't unlocked that hire a warden).

Now just change the regime around to give the prisoners a nice balance. Example of boredness: Lets say your Shower time is at 7pm, then at 8pm its yard time, then at 9pm its shower time AGAIN, the prisoners wont want another shower so they get bored, same with sleep and etc.


In short form, just your prisons schedule to have a nice balance of activities:)
-Hope it helped
-Hosky

So repetition on the timetable will lead to boredom? Is the default timetable prone to causing boredom?

[Illanair]

Are there no other ways to reduce boredom other than televisions in cells?

You could try making the holding cell room larger and placing a number of televisions in there. (and giving the prisoners more "free time" so they can go there and watch telly). Don't forget that like any other item in the prison, only one inmate per television (they should stand on/near it when using it)

[Hosky]

yeh, it is vital i find to change that timetable immediately as soon as you can, mostly sleep should be in there, then maybe 2 eating periods, i dont have free time, and the rest yard time-which should take abit of the middle chunk. and shower times you only want 1 shower time which is normally best around 8am-9am. Make sure you have guards in the shower at that time too.

[Hessen]

You don't need TVs in cells, and windows don't do anything.

Regime:

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/1018/regime.png

Prisoners will either want to watch tv, eat, phone their family, shower, sleep, sit or exercise - provide areas for each of the above and then just let freetime reign supreme.

[Semtexian]

You don't need TVs in cells, and windows don't do anything.

Regime:

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/1018/regime.png

Prisoners will either want to watch tv, eat, phone their family, shower, sleep, sit or exercise - provide areas for each of the above and then just let freetime reign supreme.

I think you might be onto something there with that regime. I find most of the time fights break out when they all crowd up together so by letting them roam on their own mostly minimizes that problem.

[HexagonalBolts]

You don't need TVs in cells, and windows don't do anything.

Regime:

http://imageshack.us/a/img600/1018/regime.png

Prisoners will either want to watch tv, eat, phone their family, shower, sleep, sit or exercise - provide areas for each of the above and then just let freetime reign supreme.

Cor, that's a bit liberal - in my prison "you'll shower when you're told to, maggot!"

[Hosky]

wheres your sleep time, ill be making videos soon ill show you, however i am about 10 prisoners off 200 prisoners and my regime is working perfect. And now i have about 34 guards so my jail is running perfect with nearly 13k income each day. However i am scared ill just keep getting prisoners and am nearly out of space on the map. I ope limit is 200:)

[Hessen]

Don't need sleep time, they nap during freetime.

I'm at 100 prisoners now and haven't had a single fight and everyone is happy.

[Springare]

Don't need sleep time, they nap during freetime.

I'm at 100 prisoners now and haven't had a single fight and everyone is happy.

This. I have currently the problem, that my inmates all sleep during freetime and they aren't tired when it's sleep-time. Even shower-fights will not happen, when you replace shower with freetime, everybody can do what they want, when they want.

But is this a prison where the inmates pay for their sins?

[XmAkiNA]

Don't need sleep time, they nap during freetime.

I'm at 100 prisoners now and haven't had a single fight and everyone is happy.

This. I have currently the problem, that my inmates all sleep during freetime and they aren't tired when it's sleep-time. Even shower-fights will not happen, when you replace shower with freetime, everybody can do what they want, when they want.

But is this a prison where the inmates pay for their sins?

I wonder if further down the line prisoners will gain a (hidden?) Repentance score. If a prisoner had a great time in your prison they're not exactly going to regret whatever they did to be put behind bars. Over time, this could result in penalty points as your prison is seen as nothing more than a community centre where the convicts have better lives than the civilians outside!

[Inkognito]

Don't need sleep time, they nap during freetime.

I'm at 100 prisoners now and haven't had a single fight and everyone is happy.

This. I have currently the problem, that my inmates all sleep during freetime and they aren't tired when it's sleep-time. Even shower-fights will not happen, when you replace shower with freetime, everybody can do what they want, when they want.

But is this a prison where the inmates pay for their sins?

I wonder if further down the line prisoners will gain a (hidden?) Repentance score. If a prisoner had a great time in your prison they're not exactly going to regret whatever they did to be put behind bars. Over time, this could result in penalty points as your prison is seen as nothing more than a community centre where the convicts have better lives than the civilians outside!

And as a bonus you could hire new staff which is speaking to the prisoners and make programs for the prisoners to talk about social life