Dragons in Dungeons- Prisoners Rights and the First Amendment

In this episode, I sit down with Samantha Reed, Esq., of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois to discuss the case of Kevin T. Singer, a convicted murderer who used Dungeons and Dragons to escape the gloom inherent to life in prison. Ms. Reed and I discuss the history of prisoner’s rights, the current landscape of prisoner’s rights, the Satanic Panic surrounding DnD, and the arguments proffered in Singer v. Raemisch. The case was heard before the 7th Circuit, and it was ultimately decided that depriving Mr. Singer of his ability to play DnD was not a violation of his First Amendment rights. Attached is a link to the decision itself, and the article about Texas Death Row inmates playing DnD that Ms. Reed referenced. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca7-07-03400 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/magazine/dungeons-dragons-death-row.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare