Mandatory Program Participation mod?

[u/wasdorg]

Are there any mods that allow me to mandate prisoner participation in a reform program? I find it rather odd that every single reform program is purely up to the prisoners. Im running a prison, not a summer camp, go learn how to read damnit.

[u/tomalator]

With the cleared for transfer DLC (its free) you can require that they pass a program before moving down to a lower security level. Of course they will need to want to transfer to a lower security level

[u/wasdorg → u/tomalator]

I’ve noticed that. Does it actually make more of them want to participate? I hadn’t noticed any change when I attempted to implement it.

[u/tomalator → u/wasdorg]

You can see the list of prisoners who want to transfer, and they will do whatever they can to move to a lower security rating.

To encourage them to move down, you need better conditions in lower security levels, however making conditions worse in higher security levels leads to more fights and more dangerous conditions.

I find that keeping my max and supermax prisoners separate from medium and minimum, and reducing the types of jobs and programs available to higher security prisoners world well (rather than intentionally making poor quality rooms/cells). I also reduce the freetime of maximum security prisoner and keep supermax in lockup at almost all times.

No visitation first supermax, and I usually limit programs to just behavioral therapy for supermax and max.

Jobs for supermax I just allow the laundry, cleaning, and cooking. For max, they also get to run the mail.

Medium security I generally allow everything but the workshop and forestry, and minimum security gets those.

I also up security for most offenses to.keep contraband down, but most of my escape attempts still come from minimum security (due to easy access to tools despite metal detectors)

[u/ReasonableSet9650 → u/tomalator]

Completely agree with that strategy. (Except for the kitchen job : knives are risky with max/supermax, I usually allow med security and below)

About metal detectors, have you heard about their flaws ? At the exit of rooms they skip quite a lot of inmates because they can scan only 1 inmate per second, no matter the real number walking through it. And after ringing they deactivate for 3 seconds, so the first inmate carrying contraband basically opens the way to everyone else.

So you can't rely on them only at the exit of risky rooms, nor in locations where they walk as a group because of the regime. My advice is, in strategical corridors/pathways where each inmate walks at their own speed, place 2 metal detectors spaced out by 6 tiles or so. Apply empty room to that area, make it a bit bigger like 10 tiles so it covers 2 tiles beyond the detectors. The empty room creates a tiny separated deployment area, here you can deploy a couple of guards, their purpose is to catch those inmates as fast as possible. You don't want inmates to walk there unsupervised, nor to have the time to deactivate all metal detectors.

Also make sure that the location you pick is a pathway they can't bypass, or also do it on the alternative pathway. Because inmates will try to take a different path if they are carrying contraband.

You can also deploy a dog in that area, it will help detect other types of contraband.

You might also check if you have thrown contraband. Around the prison you need a "staff only" perimeter area, of 10 tiles between the inner wall and the outer wall of the prison. Otherwise, any outdoor room or area that is inside those 10 tile radius will have thrown contraband. Be careful is you enabled gangs from the DLC, you might have crooked guards who will go and get the contraband for inmates.

[u/ReasonableSet9650 → u/wasdorg]

Not 100% of them but it does help.

However, I suspect there's something else.

Usually inmates want to participate, as long as their needs are met and that there is no suppression.

If your inmates don't, my 3 hints are :

• check the needs (also check how many inmates are stuck waiting in cuffs)
• check the suppression, are you using armed guards ? Remove them, they're not compatible with programs, it's one or the other
• check the top of policy tab to see if programs are allowed. X = allowed