Hey y'all. It's been years since I played any Shadowrun (like 1st ed), but I've recently found some newb players to introduce to the game. I've started to familiarize myself with all the 4th edition books, and started the scaffolding on a campaign. I intended (partly as a way of keeping the players from bulking up on weapons and gear, partly as a neat story hook) to begin the campaign on the day the PCs are released from a stretch of hard time in a bad-ass penitentery. Now for my question: Where in Seattle area are the max security prisons? Any tips from more veteran gm's would be appreciated.
Thanks chummers

There are no max security prisons IN Seattle. The closest would be McNeil Island. The max security facilities mostly look outside of the the UCAS area. Of course, if LS is running them, there is no reason why they can't just ship them somewhere cheaper, like the existing prisons in NAN territory... But they would probably have to bus them back to Seattle to let them go. "Here's 20 bucks kid. Have a nice day!"

http://www.doc.wa.gov/facilities/prisons.asp

You going to put them on probation with the trackers strapped on?

IIRC in SR cannon there is a prison in Redmond...

[edit]: Yep, "Hollywood Correctional Facility" in Redmond

Also:
"Thrasher's Correctional Facility" in Snohomish
"Wynaco Correctional Facility" in Auburn
"Shadow Lake Correctional Facility" in Renton
"Darrington Correctional Facility" in Everette
"Silcox Island Correctional Facility" in Tacoma ("reputed to be a hellhole")
"Metroplex Prison" Downtown...

Looks like there is a prison in just about every district, according to the ol' SR1 Seattle Sourcebook.

I thought briefly about obvious tracking devices, then hidden ones. Settled on something I think will be far more entertaining. Since the characters all represent some aspect of corrupt law enforcement, their time in the clink would have been plenty unpleasant. But even outside of the prison walls, old colleagues would be waiting to see them. I've already started designing a team of likewise corrupt team of "parole officers" to occasionally roll the players, tie them up with gooned busts, and otherwise be a pain in their tails.

How about some good law enforcement related contacts? Any ideas?

Okay. Another prison related question:
With such a prevalence of cyberware and magic, what kind of protocals would be in place for keeping control over the prisoners? With my campaign starting with the players being released from the big house on day one, I would prefer not to impose too many restrictions on their character designs. I was thinking about some kind of dampening grid. Nodes, built into the cells and foundation of the prison, that could restrict cyberware from perfroming lethal or boosted functions. I mean... there are bound to be enough prisoners with such a plethora of cyber/bioware that removing it would kill them and turning it off would paralyze or worse. Any thoughts? How about mages and adepts? What kind of magical defenses would prevent awakened prisoners from casting all sorts of chaos?

I don't know about Adepts, but you can look up Manatech in the Arsenal sourcebook, they've got Magecuffs and other stuff that prevent spellcasting.

Most states/corps would separate the Awakened into their own prison. LA has a Horizon run prison that specializes in Awakened/Emerged rehabilitation ("The Haven"). It happens to be in what was the worst area of LA, before almost everyone there died in the floods. Think, background count from Hell. That pretty effectively stops a lot of magician/adept hijinks...

Explosive collars work too. Technomancers just have horrible accidents on the way to jail.

I think if you're ending up in custody, your best bet is to *not* have them think you're a techno. Otherwise, voila! Oh, look, you signed up for voluntary research programs at [insert corp here]... what, did you like your brain inside your skull?

Runners certainly have a lot of exotic cyberware and bioware but I wouldn't think the vastmajority of prison populations would. Sure there'd be a lot of certain types of modifications that a lot of the average street scum might have but not the sort of stuff a runner might be packing IMHO. The easiest way I can think of would be a quick local surgery to turn them off, the best way being to physically remove a key part or two so that they're non-functional. I would have said simply turn them off but I've a friend that work in a maximum security prison and some of the stories he tells about the things prisoners do to themselves suggests there's a certain minority that would quite happily cut themselves open to turn it back on. For bioware you don't really have that choice - for lethal mods you'd probably have to undergo proper surgery to have it removed, mods that simply give you a bit of a boost maybe they have a special section for them so the guards know to watch out for them.



Well magic if fairly uncommon in the general population, magically active criminals - PC groups not counted - would probably be even smaller. There's really very few reasons why they'd turn to crime. That said IIRC Shadows of North America mentions a private prison out in the Ute Nation, by the 2070s the Pueblo Corporate Council, that was built on top of a massive mana warp and run specially for holding magical inmates. For the small numbers that you'd see convicted each year I'd assume places like Seattle would simply ship them off and pay the corporation to hold them for the duration of their sentence. Sure it would be more expensive but it'd be a lot less of a hassle or security risk to do it that way.

Alternatives include doping them with drugs so much that they can't keep a straight thought in their head and plugging their brains into a matrix prison to keep them occupied whilst you deal with their bodies like you would someone that was in a coma. For the really bad repeat offenders of thoe in for murder I could easily see them using drugs or some other method to burn out their magical abilities and turn them into mundanes.

There have got to be better and more cost effective solutions for disabling cyberware than to simply turn it off. The people who end up in prison are going to be the fringes of society and not just the poor folks. Without a way of turning down boosted attributes and halting full limb cyberware, one street samurai would be the king of the clink. Any ideas for dampening devices; collars, implants, in wall transmitters?

The really dangerous guys would be stuck in VR tanks that run endless loops like the old Escher chips from SR3. Along the same lines, you could take the RAS override components from the old cranial decks and instal them along with a kink bomb. Tamper with the device and your head turns into a bowl. Try to activate cyberware and you collapse to the ground like a vegetable.

In extreme cases the prisoner would be injected with Gremlin Intruder nanites (Augementation P.116).

Any one loaded down with heavily combative cyberware would be incarcerated in a place like courkland. 24 hrs a day in a cell. Even on the yard it's a cluster of 10x10 hamster cages. If just combative or having lighter cyberware i believe they would have to do their stretch of time in solitaire.

Okay... that all makes sense. Now how about upon release? Am I wrong to assume that things like small sidearms would be commonplace enough that they would be returned to the cons, with all the other personal items they came in with, upon release? I mean of course, arms like a streetline special with legitimate papers.

If they were taken into evidence during arrest it would all be destroyed after one years time that's how it works now or if they were used in a crime immediately after the trial.

Hmmm.... I'm gonna need a good reason for just giving them a bunch of gear when they get released.

Do you think a convicted felon is allowed to (legally) have a gun in SR? Do you think the prison system wouldn't get flak from the honest, upright (uptight) citizens if it was handing convicted felons guns as they left prison? Do you think folks with a SINNER ID can get legal permits/licenses for guns?

Personally, that seems counter-intuitive to me. If in your game, you want The Man to be so corrupt/uncaring that the prison system arms released convicts... *shrug*

If you are in prison you're a felon. Felons have no right to own guns, and just possessing one get them thrown back in the joint. So no.

And having recently spent months in jail on a misdemeanor is the kind of thing that tends to get permits yanked. "Go get a lawyer and tell the judge about how it's unfair. Next!"

Braindance - for everyone, all the time.

Once they get out, they aren't the prison's concern any more. However, the prison would like them to come back. If the prison is not owned by Lone Star, their goal is to get the criminal to commit the most atrocious crime possible that qualifies for going back to that prison. If it IS owned by LS, they want to make sure the barrens stays the barrens (and frightening). KE will want the prisoner to commit the most atrocious crime possible, but in a high-publicity area. None of them want to get caught actually hoping for that, however. Remember, while they like repeat business, they don't want to end up in prison themselves.

On this grounds, if they're doing braindance (and again, I see no reason why they shouldn't), everyone who does not have a datajack will get one. Mages will be fit with mage-hoods. Sammies will have their more egregious cyber turned off. They'll do their time. When they're done, the cyber will be turned back on (or at least it won't be hard to turn on) and the mage hoods come off. Heck, I can even imagine them giving the decker a surplused tortoise (otherwise it just goes to an elementary school somewhere and really, who needs that?) They probably won't get their guns back, but they'll be in a position to easily get in touch with their old contacts and get back to work breaking laws (again, LS may be the exception). KE stands to profit signficantly if criminals of all stripes cause serious damage (since it could upset LS's contract), so they may do a bit more to help out criminals on the street.

^^ Having the PCs connect with their contacts will probably be the best way I can get them a bunch of "starting" gear without it seeming too contrived. In fact I already have plans to give them several bonus contacts based on their time in the clink.

It's true you get popped on a simple B&E or a GTA a simple thug. After a years time unless you decide to shape up, you just made every contact on the streets you could ever want and a whole bunch of new ideas on what your next score it'll be when you get out. After all you got nothing but time inside and a whole bunch of liked minded individuals to bounce ideas off. Ohh what a great system. LOL

As I mentioned in the other thread, when you have a criminal SIN you could have a hard time just trying to ride the bus to the supermarket much less getting your hands on a legal firearm.

Ahhg... I'm mixing up my threads.
What about the use of false SINs?
I don't really wanna rely on the "mysterious benefactor makes their lives easier" routine, but giving the characters false IDs and forged business liscences (or at least access to) could make my life easier too.
I fully intend on giving the players "bonus" contacts related to their time inside, so some kind of master forger wouldn't be outrageous.

Sounds like a good idea for the chargen is to add a ton of free contacts

Re: criminal SIN - it won't help you buy a gun legally any better (which you couldn't do anyways without a SIN), and it won't hinder you from buying one illegally. In that regard, the only real problem is that it will effectively reduce the effectiveness of a false SIN.

Have their first adventure after they get out to contact a good counterfeiter. In my games I use an old Chinese guy named Mr. Chan who works out of his Chinese restaurant The Dragon Palace in Redmond. His young daughter is a drek-hot hacker or technomancer who backs up all the fake IDs he creates. Mr. Chan has a problem with a local gang of street thugs who are leaning on the old man for protection money. They are unaware of his counterfeiting operation- just the restaurant. Mr. Chan offers to make fake IDs for the runners up front if they will deal with the gang. If they don't up hold their end of the bargain they get a nasty surprise the next time they try to use the IDs at a security checkpoint.

Plus you have a second adventure waiting in the wings. Much later they find out that the street gang is connected to the Triads. The triads kidnap Chan's daughter and he pleads with the runners to find her...

^^ Well the only other idea I have is: a) mysterious benefactor contacts the PCs... he is supplying them with gear and a hideout, false IDs and nuyen. Why? Simply to haved the PCs owe him in the future.
b) I have already scripted a sequence with the characters turning on their commlinks for the first time in 5+ years only to be inundated with a flood of old mail. A deceased relative has bequested similar products.

Both of these options seem too contrived. I am currently leaning toward:
Characters are released from the paddy wagon with their commlinks and a kick in the pants. Within minutes of the bus leaving them, they are mugged by gangers who could care less that they've just been released. This gives the characters an oppurtunity to get a bit of gear (even unarmed and unarmored, PCs had better be able to survive a simple encounter). If they can't succede in destroying the gangers, then one of the bonus contacts I'm giving them will connect with them offering a job to them to help set up.

What about the "Rockford" method? Have them all do hard time, then have a high government official (Seattle's governor?) pardon them for their crimes (because s/he took a bribe, they were innocent, whatever). The problem is LEGALLY they may be okay in society, but socially (especially for ex-cop PCs and their cop friends) they will have that stigma of being a felon. Less limiting crunch-wise, but fluff-wise the GM can really make it an interesting position for them to be in. The players might not even know WHY they were pardoned, and this being Shadowrun, end up being Machiavellian pawns in some big corporate/political scheme.

^^
This is not an outrageous option. I have already been toying with the option of an NPC that they went in with being mysteriously pardoned shortly before they are all released legitimately. Considered the 'revolving door' theory as well. An overcrowded prison system that lets out inmates to make room for the next bunch. A group of former cops just might be considered for such an option.


With the above option, would the characters still be likely to leave prison with a SIN?

Every one put in a prison gets a SIN a criminal one but a SIN. One idea could be have them help a 'trix gang who in payment wipe their criminal SINs (via hacking or bribes is a different matter). In fact that's an arc in its own right. Again one way to outft them is to have them picked up as expendables for a run. they would be SUB contracted in gear (problemy hot or shoddy) by a Runner team to cause a distraction or to take down a secondary target.

The go into prison. They join a gang in prison. When they get paroled they hookup with the prison gang outside the prison. They get a gun, some cash, a pad, and a job they don't need to go to all in the name of doing the unpleasant stuff that no-one else in the gang wants to do. Being associated is enough to get thrown back in jail so they have no worries if they commit a few dozen or more felonies. The gang can be anything from Sons of Sauron to Aryan Nation.

Okay chums....
I've got a small list of the freebie contacts I plan on offering to my players. Let me know if I've missed any or tweak the ones I've got.

Warden
Gen. Pop. Guardsman
VR Cell Technician
Registered Sex Offender
Prison Janitor
Death Row Priest
Prison Civilian Liason
Human Rights Advocate

Another idea on the gear would be to allow them each to have a certain BP amount of gear "stashed" somewhere that just never got touched. The rest could come from an employer/benefactor, or an easy steal (or both).

Starting them out with no gear actually has advantages for them as you're going to be supplying them with gear at some point and they can use the points they would have on gear on other things instead.

While a shadowrunner without gear is normally a deadman walking, if the GM isn't trying to kill you (and the player doesn't do anything dumb) you're fine.

^^
Aha! Fraggin' brilliant son!
That's the ticket.
What kind of scale would make sense BP- Nuyen value?

EDIT:
That is to say, what would you judge to be the minimum starting gear value a character could successfully start with?

If I was playing or GMing I would start with no starting gear. However I would have lots of contacts. This means that when I walk out of the hoosegow, a gun is only a commlink call away.

There is also the matter that they have to improvise. They don't start out with the newest and most flash. Besides if they have been doing hard time for hard crime they may be out on parole ten years down the line. That pentium laptop that cost as much as a small mortgage in 1998 has zip value in 2008. That million they have stashed away may now be thanks to inflation not worth anything or even worse may have been spent on drugs, hookers, and booze by your "mate".

Your contacts list is good assuming their in braindance. I would also include a nurse or medtech, however.

If they are in a more conventional prison, they'll have less contact with the staff and a lot more contact with their colorful neighbors. In this case most especially, I would let them choose their own contacts (and gang affiliations).

Well actually, a few points of gear goes quite a long way.

However the problem with this is, it completely bones characters that want cyberware, or riggers and their drones.

So what I might do, is allow them the full 50 BP of gear, but they don't have access to that gear right away.

Some of it is stashed in a safe house, some they might be able to grab from an extremely easy steal.

Cyberware is the trickiest issue, as they aren't going to allow you to walk out of prison with that stuff.


Another option is sort of a pre-game game. The characters have straight money (so BPs spent = straight nuyen), and when they get out of prison they can go on a shopping spree.

This is a cool way to introduce them to the world of shadowrun as they use contacts and hunt down gear they want to buy. No fighting, but lots of social work to introduce them to game mechanics outside of combat (something very important for players coming from a D&D background).

So they can use stashed money to get cyberware installed, shop for drones, etc.


In essence, they buy their starting gear and then roleplay getting it, as opposed to starting the game with it.



This is what I'd really recommend.

A maximum security prison is going to be for the absolute worst criminals, mass murders, serial killers, serial rapists, psychotics, etc. I might put them in less than maximum security.

It gives them more believable options for developing contacts and doing the kind of hard time we're more accustomed to in movies and media, as opposed to VR brain dance hooked up to life support. I mean does anyone even get out of maximum security in 7 years in 2070?

Ummm.... That's another good point. sigh....
Cyberware really is the only sticking point now. I am satisfied with medication and some kind of MANATECH to control the magic users. I like the stashed gear idea and will use that to some extent. I had originally thought to put any lethally modded cyberjunkies into VR tanks, but you guys are right.... that prisoner is probably never getting out and has very little oppurtunity to get any contacts in prison. I intended on a larger list of freebie contacts and then give it to the players to pick off of.
Again, my aim is to accomplish this without seeming too.... deus ex machina... you know? Installation of cyberware should take time to install and heal properly so I don't really want the players to spend a bunch of downtime at the beginning of the game waiting for their implants to heal. Assuming that I use the option of stashed gear and cash, any suggestions on how to get these poor players their cyber and bioware?

Any cyberware that is going to be implanted is second hand standard grade cyberware. So you get it for half price, but double the essence cost. In short you "volunteer" for experimental cyberware modification. It might also mean that companies like Ares it is actually cheaper to cut off the limb and give a clunker of a cyberlimb than the costly healing time on having to set broken bones.

Another option would be to do the whole prison release portion as a "flashback". Have them released with nothing and struggle through a few runs as they "get back on their feet" and then fastforward a few years, give them all their shwag and start running whatever campaign you were thinking of.

What are your plans for after the whole release/getting back on their feet phase, anyway?

^^
Well we are definitely on the same page here. I'm saving the flashback mission for later in the campaign though.
Early story arcs I'm planning will involve some paranormal critter extractions and missing person hunts.
Two of the larger arcs I am going to run will involve human/metahuman trafficking and force the players to make some morally questionable choices, and the hunt for a serial predator in their little corner of the city.