Overview
Are you a budding prison Warden with dreams of an easy, fair and spacious prison of your own? Well read this simple guide, giving you 10 tips to create the perfect penitentiary for your Minimum/Maximum Security Prisoners! If this guide was useful to you, please favourite and like it! Thanks!I type far too fast, therefore there may be a number of spelling mistakes (proff instead of proof!). Please do not hesitate to report them in the comments! :)I’ve moved the NOTICES tab – check the contents!Please check the FAQs before posting a question!By Mata | Chungus and MishV2.0.5
Tip No. 1: Planning
Every half-decent prison starts with the planning tool. You’ll find that a few simple lines will help map out the future of your MiniMax, whatever the size or shape of your Prison. Remember to use the correct setting whilst planning too; walls for walls, objects for objects and pathways for pathways. Without using this invaluable asset, you Penitentiary will become a shambling wreck in the first few days of construction. Areas won’t fit. Rooms have little or no space, It always helps to Plan.
If you have set it so on the Create New Prison Menu, you may have lakes and pre-existent buildings dotted around. Buildings can be demolished however nothing can be done with lakes. Be wary of this when planning your Penitentary.
Tip No. 2: Prison Programmes
Whichever way you look at it, this could have either positives and negatives.
The whole idea of the upgrade is implement a system where It is now possible to rehabilitate your Prisoners, rather than scaring them into submission. The courses available include:
Workshop and Safety Induction – 5 Places Per Session – Led by Foreman – Takes Place in Workshop – Gives Prisoners Permission to use the Workshop.
Kitchen Safety and Hygiene – 5 Places Per Session – Led by Chef – Takes Place in Kitchen – Gives Prisoners Permission to use the Kitchen
Foundation Education Programme – 20 Spaces Per Session – Led by External Teacher – Takes Place in Classroom – Raises prisoner intelligence
Carpentry Apprenticeship – 5 Spaces per Session – Led by Foreman – Takes Place in Workshop – Gives Prisoners permission to use the CarpentersTable in the Workshop.
General Education Qualification – 20 Places per Session – Led by External Teacher – Takes Place in Classroom – Raises Prisoner intelligence.
Behavioural Therapy – 1 Place per Session – Led by Psychologist – Takes Place in Psychologist’s Office – Lowers chance of Prisoners “sparking off”.
Additionally, there are seperate optional courses that don’t help a prisoner’s reform rate, but do instead help your inmate INSIDE your prison, things like:
-Alcoholics Group Therapy (Formerly Alcoholics Annonymous) – 20 Places per Session – Led by Physcologist – Takes place in Common Room (Each prisoner requires Armchair/Chair) – Partially removes an inmates addiction to alcohol if successful.
-Pharmalogical Treatment of Drug Addiction (Formerly Methadone Programme – 10 Places per Session – Led by Doctor – Takes place in Infirmary (Each prisoner requires Medical Bed – Partially removes an inmates addiction to narcotics if successful.
All courses are voluntary and the pass rate depends on prisoners needs. A Prisoner is more likely to attend a course depending on their mood and the amount of metal detectors and Armed Guards.
Tip No. 3: Entertainment, Needs and Recreation
Its all well and good, creating a prison with a large Yard and Common Room but during certain times of the day, these areas are inaccessible. Here’s an example. You have just reloaded your save file and have started playing. The time is 2:35am and all your prisoners should be sleeping. But because of a bug in the Prison Architect software, logging back onto a save world whilst all the Convicts should be sleeping, instantly wakes them, usually needing various things including Hygiene, Recreation, Exercise etc. To fix this problem, simply create a large sized cell in the first place (Preferably 3×4) and fill it with a Phone Booth, Weights Bench, Bookshelf, TV and so forth. This will create an easy way for prisoners to satisfy their needs without leaving their cells. It also helps by building Need-quenchers in the Canteen, so that when the inmates have finished eating, they can still exercise their freedom. Remember though, TVs now require a source of power to function, bring out the cables!
Remember however, our good friend the Guard needs rest too! When you spot a little green bar below their name, it indicates their “Tiredness”. When the green bar reaches the bottom, they’ll have a sort of debuff that will affect their performance until they get time to chill. To fix this, simply build a Staff Room, similiar to a Common Room, however it requires a Sofas in order to function.
Tip No. 4: Security
(If your Prison uses FogofWar, continue on. If not, skip the first few sentences.)
Many amateurs use a vast array of CCTV camera to monitor their Prisoners doings however this is not always helpful, they can be damaged easily by water and prisoners rioting. Instead, use guards deployed in various areas with high Prisoner concentration on patrol. They can respond to the threat quickly and easily and act as a deterrent for convicts to commit misconducts. Here is a simple guide to inform you on the total number of guards need for a successful MiniMax:
– You should have around half the amount of guards as prisoners
– Guards should preferably have a stab-proof vest
– Have a high concentration of guards in areas where prisoners are likely to kick off – Parole Rooms, Canteens, Holding Cells etc.
You get the idea. Always keep a few Guards spare in the event of a riot (5 at least).
Prisoners can dig tunnels using tools from the Workshop or smuggled in through Visitation. They always dig from the toilet, and will follow the nearest PipeLarge towards the exit (through the walls if necessary). To safeguard this, make sure your PipeLarges are as far away from the cells as possible. Use PerimeterWall to stop Prisoners from digging straight out of your Fences and escaping into the World. However, the Wall is costly ($200 sq/m) and can take a while for your Workmen to build.
Perhaps the most valuable asset you may ever own could be the K9s and their Handlers. The dogs can sniff out hidden Contraband (Both whilst your Prisoner is carrying it and in their cell.) and catch Convicts while they attempt to flee!
Also be sure to secure the road with a RoadGate, to block off the…road. As yet, it is the only item that can span a road and acts as any door would, opening and closing when a guard uses it.
Rule your prison by force! Employ Armed Guards after building an Armoury (Requires Guard, Weapon Rack and Table). Armed Guards carry shotguns with which they can obviously shoot prisoners, but only when instructed. To give permission to do so click Weapons Free in the bottom right. The Guards will then issue a simple warning when a inmate is operating under misconduct and if ignored, they will open fire: the shells will usually kill the prisoner and if not, seriously injure them. Be warned though, if killed, an Armed Guard will drop his keys AND shotgun and Prisoner + boomstick = many deaths. If a riot occurs, many prisoners will make a beeline for the Armoury in an attempt to break in and steal it’s many treasures. To combat this, secure it with one or two SolitaryDoors and 2 guards, inside and out. As well as Prison Prgrammes, Tazers and Bodyarmour were introduced in Alpha 18. Both can be unlocked through Bureacracy. As yet there are three options when choosing: “Tazers”, “Tazer Rollout” and “Stab-Proof Vests”. The “Vests” raise a Guards Health, “Tazers” give Tazers to all Armed Guards, where as “Tazer Rollout” provides K9 Handlers, Armed Guards AND normal guards with Tazers. As mentioned before, a prison riot can lead to the opening of the Armoury.
If you really are a security freak, try using Door Servos. These are items that you place above a door and connect to the new Security Room object Door Control System. The idea is that when a guard is stationed at the control system, any doors that are requested to be opened, will be opened – however the guard can only open two doors per second so build multiple control systems for the best results.
Contraband can be smuggled over the walls of your prison – beware! A prisoner will organize a time while in a phone booth and in the next 24 hours, he will head over to a wall at the edge of your prison, pause for a second and walk off. What happened!? An item of contraband was smuggled over the wall to your prisoner, thats what! You can stop this though – you just need one of those CIs mentioned a bit later in the guide, and he (should) make note of the delivery time and inform you of it. Order a Guard to patrol the area and the Prisoner might have second thoughts…
Tip No. 5: Prisoner Labour
Prisoner Labour may seem like an attractive prospect for some, it provides money, saves money, gives new skills to inmates (Future Update) and disciplining your convicts.
However, it can be a risky card to play as it gives Prisoners acccess to Contraband and illegal items such as SawBlades. It can mean a form of escape for Prisoners working in the Kitchen, they can simply slip out unnoticed whilst collecting new goods from deliveries. Simple ways to fix these area include metal detectors at the entrances and exits to Labour Areas or a little guards post sitting by your Deliveries/Garbage Area that can be used to apprehend escapees.
Remember that to work in the Workshop or Kitchen, Prisoners require training (see Skill Sets page)
A very useful feature is the ability to “cut” down trees and sell its lumber by clicking on it and then on “sell”. This is an extremely easy and profitable way to generate income for your coffers, highly reccommended indeed. To make an even bigger profit, install a forestry into your prison to provide a renewable source trees that can be cut down and turned into Lumber, providing an even bigger income than the original logs themselves!
A slightly more…off-the-books version of inmate labour is hiring a Confidential Informer (CI’s). The idea is that if a prisoner has spent a long amount of time in solitary, they might be willing to become a CI (to find out whether or not they want to, click Contraband and then “Confidential Informers. This obviously has to be unlocked through bureaucracy though). Click Hire in the Prisoner’s menu and its done! The CI’s are much like sleeper agents, meaning they must be activated. To do so, click Contraband and “Confidential Informers” again. Your new “employee” will now appear at the top of the screen, with the word Activate and Suspicion. Obviously to Activate your Prisoner, you must click Activate. The prisoner will head towards the Security Office wearing handcuffs, and he will sit there as long as you tell him to. While he is active, look at the CI’s menu again. You’ll notice a bunch a popups have appeared. They display useful information such as planned contraband drops or prisoners carrying smuggled-in items. Beware though! If you search any inmate carrying contraband, the suspicion metre of your CI will go up! The higher it is, the higher the chance of him being rumbled! The metre will also advance for every second he spends active so be careful!
If he is indeed rumbled, there is little you can do for him.
Tip No. 6: Riots
In the possible event of a riot, follow these 3 simple steps:
1) Click the “Bangup” button in the bottom right. It will send all non-rioting prisoners to their cells, lessening the magnitude of the threat (It may be necessary to initiate a “Lockdown” phase, closing any door thats not damaged, however Guards, RiotGuards and Paramedics are unable to access rooms in which the doors are sealed).
2) Next, evacuate all non-essential personnel (Such as Cooks, Cleaners, Workmen and Admin) out of the immediate vicinity.
3a) Then call in the RiotGuards (Emergencies tab or from staff if available in the current version) to deal with angry inmates. They have much more HP so send them straight into the fray. They should respond to the threat in a matter of seconds and ‘cuff all convicts possible before they have a chance to get out of there.
OR
3b) – EMERGENCY OPTION ONLY – If money permits, you may already have a staff of Armed Guards under your command. Use these tough guys to annilhilate any big troublemakers. They come equiped with a Shotgun and if permitted, they will use it. Tazers and Bodyarmour may also be unlocked too.
4) Finally, the Paramedics should be called to deal with any severly injured Prisoners or Guards and the RiotGuards should be dismissed by clicking the X icon over their icons in the top right.
Tip No. 7: Prison Points and End Game
Prisoner Points
Added in Alpha 20 – A new system allows your prisoners to be graded with 4 catergories of points in the “Grading” tab of their report
-Punishment – Scaled 0 to 10
-Reform – Scaled 0 to 10
-Security – Scaled -5 to 5
-Health – Scaled -5 to 5
The punishment level is increased as Prisoners are subjected to things like solitary and lockdown – the more of it they experience, the higher the level and the lower re-offending chance (mentioned later). The reform level goes up depending on the amount of reform programmes your inmates have successfully completed. Again this reflects on the Re-offending rate. Health is contributed to by an inmate’s food quality, alcohol and drug use and general health bar. A lower score adds to re-offending rate. With security, the more guards you have adds to your score, while the more free time a prisoner has decreases it.
End Game
Your Re-Offending Rate is effectively an End Game. The lower it is, the lower chance there is of your Prisoner re-offending in their free life. As mentioned before, it is effected by the 4 categories and a full version can be found in the Grading Tab in the bottom of the HUD. It gives a pie chart displaying an average of your Prison’s rate as well as total escapes, deaths, Prison value and daily profits. The pie chart is only available after 10 prisoners have been released from your prison.
Failure
If you’re ever in the situation where a riot breaks out and lasts for around 12 hours, you will intercept a call from the CEO. In short, he will tell you that you have another 12 hours to turn the riot around or face being fired (losing basically). If the 12 hours pass and the riot is still out of control, the National Guard will be called in and all Prisoners are subsequently executed.
If too many deaths occur in a day, you will recieve the same warning, only this time you simply lose with special conditions. Finally, a similiar scenario occurs if too many prisoners escape in a short length of time – only this time, it ends with you being taken into custody!
Tip No. 8: Safety
Commonly overlooked by nearly everyone (even myself), safety is just as important as any of the tips listed above. It can mean the difference between your Prisoners lives or deaths. As an example, only a couple of days ago (22/7/13), I had stupidly just installed a set of metal detectors Inside a Shower. As soon as I had done so, a troupe of hygiene-craving inmates rushed into the room, turned on the taps and were instantly electrocuted. I now had 5 dead prisoner and 1 dead cook (Who happened to be passing by) on my hands. Don’t make mistakes! Use sprinklers and don’t keep electricals near the showers! Grates are just as life-saving as guards!
If at any time you spot a circle with an image of a pot of meds inside it, it means that a prisoner has overdosed on narcotics! Luckily this can be easily treated by left clicking a Doctor and right clicking the area that the inmate has overdosed in.
Tip No. 9: Grants
When you first start your prison, Grants are always necessary to get a cash injection. Most of them offer a reward when started and finished – usually around $5K-$10K. Some can be started immediately, while others require unlocks through Bureaucracy and the completion of other Grants. The first 5 are for the initial game, allowing you to improve basic features such as the Canteen, Shower et cetera. The next couple are useful towards the end, things like CCTV cameras and Security, Cleaning and Gardening. Through this menu, it is also possible to apply for Loans through the bank. Each Loan is $500 however the amount can be improved, with it the interest rate. You are allowed larger sums of money depending on your credit rating, this will go up over time as you pay back your Loan however miss a payment and the rating will go down.
Tip No. 10: Finance
Finance is arguably the biggest component of the game. It determines your success and your ability to ensure your penitentiary stays profitable. It can be accesed through the Finance menu – no prizes for guessing why. Your daily income is recieved every hour through percentages.
Areas Explained
Federal Grant – The standard amount of income you recieve.
Standard Prisoner Grant – The amount of $ you recieve for all of your Prisoners. The higher security of the Prisoner, the high the income.
Workmen Wages – Wages paid to your workmen. Standard Wage is $100/day.
Administration Wages – Wages paid to your Admin. Standard Wage is $200/day.
Staff Wages – Wages paid to your Guard, Janitors, Gardeners, Chefs et cetera. Armed Guards are not included in this fee.
Food – Amount of $ you spend on food. Change this amount through the Regime menu.
Reform Programmes – The amount of $ you spend on Reform Programmes.
Days Without Incident – The amount of days you have had without an incident. Every day equals $1000 however it can go no high than $10K.
Corporation Tax – A percentage your income total (total that hasnt been already cut) is taken away. The percentage can be lowered through bureaucracy, at a large price tag.
FAQs
If there any questions you may have, please read below
Q: How do I assign Prisoners jobs?
A: All you need to do is unlock Prison Labour via the Foreman, and you’ll notice that in your Logistics tab, the “Prison Labour” button has appeared. Using that, click on rooms, such as Laundry or Workshop, to assign jobs.
Q: Are Holding Cells really necessary?
A: Yes and no. It all really depends on the size of your Prison. If you have turned “Continuous Intake” On then it generally a good idea to build one (Or two). It always helps to install ShowerHeads, Beds, Toilets and Recreational items such as Tvs and pool tables
Q: Is it a good idea to keep Emergency squads in the Prison?
A: For RiotGuards, no because they raise the anger thermometer quicky when on site. But with Paramedics and Firemen, as far as I’m aware, they’re fine to keep on the premises.
Q: I’ve just re-configured one of my Prison Architect Saves, so that now I’ve unlocked CCTV. Only, my game crashing whenever I load it up. What do I do?
A: ALWAYS remember to change the little 0 (at the start of 0.00000) to 1 and not change “desired” to true.
Q: I just updated to the newest version and black dots are all over my game! What’s happened!
A: When this happens (or anything like it – glitchy textures etc), the best thing to do is to delete your Prison Architect folder and reinstall it. To do so just follow these instructions (you may want to find your Saves folder and save that so you can use it later)
Mac:
-Finder/[Username]/Library/Application Support/SteamApps/Common/Prison Architect (Delete this).
Q: I want to schedule a Prison Programme, however whenever I do, I’m told that “All Rooms are Booked”! What do I do?
A: Chances are, you haven’t got a three hour-long work period in your regime. This is needed for most prison activities.
NOTICES
A list of things that you might want to know…
- If you know anything about the Logic Gates, let me know via the comments section.
- Have expertise on modding? Please give me some help in the comments!
- If you think your English is good and you’d like to help update the guide, PM me!
CHANGELOG
1.20.5 – Current
-Renamed VERSIONS tab to CHANGELOG
-Added a question to the FAQs
-Updated the Security tab
1.20
-Updated to Alpha 24
-Added information on Confidential Informants
-Skill Sets page changed to Prison Programmes
1.19
-Updated to Alpha 23
-Updated Skill Sets page with new Programme names
-Updated Security page with Door Servos etc.
-Updated Safety page (finally)
1.18
-Updated to Alpha 21
-Replaced Visitation with Prisoner Points and End Game section
-Changed Versions page round a bit 🙂
1.17
-Added Versions Page 🙂
-Greatly improved Grants Page
-Removed Hacking Page
-Replaced Hacking Page with Finance Page
-Added information to Skill Sets and Prison Labour