Taylor and Vortex Training Days! Rehabilitation for Dummies!
Vortex: Today, we are going to go over something that you may find interesting. Specifically, the various methods of criminal rehabilitation and why they do or do not work.
Taylor: I am feeling kind of called out here.
Vortex: As you should, Taylor. As you should. Especially, since your world has the Birdcage. A mixed gender prison with a life long lock is a very bad idea. Every other version I've seen tends to go badly, although some are worse than others.
Taylor: Wait, are you saying that there are versions of prisons out there that are considered worse than the Birdcage?
Vortex: Some are worse in intent but less successful in execution. Offering an unassailable prison as the ultimate stick in the legal system is not unheard of. But removing all safety protocols or mechanisms for releasing the improperly convicted...well...it can be a crap shoot.
Taylor: Alright, can you please give me an example?
Vortex: Sure, let's start with the Isle of the Lost. A multinational effort to contain a whole generation of criminals by stripping them of their powers and locking them away from the mainland, along with all associated minions.
Taylor: That sort of sounds like the Birdcage right there.
Vortex: True, except that the original architect of the place did not take their families into account. Nearly twenty years later, these horrible people had raised a whole generation of children who were locked away with their parents. Everyone just assumed that they were automatically evil by bloodline.
Taylor: The number of ways that's fucked up boggles my imagination.
Vortex: Agreed. Most inescapable prisons are reserved for actual criminals, and send them into segregated areas based upon gender. Inescapable volcanos, middle of nowhere in space, alternative dimensions and so on. It's rare where they are just dumped together with no regulation and left to fend for themselves. It leads to very bad things happening.
Taylor: I'll say. Tell me someone got involved in that cluster fuck.
Vortex: Don't worry, the crown prince had a very good heart. He saw the injustice, and helped to extract and rehabilitate the children of the Isle. Even ended up engaged to the daughter of the Isle's unofficial leader. They're working on something more reasonable now that he has taken the throne.
Taylor: I'm guessing that nothing so nice is happening in the Birdcage.
Vortex: Not to my knowledge. I'm fairly sure that there are relationships, and I'd be surprised if there were not some children floating around. At least, if there wasn't some sort of secondary effect going on.
Taylor: Secondary effect?
Vortex: A single source of food and water controlled by a superior Tinker. Some sort of sterilization drug would be simple enough to introduce into their supplies.
Taylor: That's just sick...
Vortex: Given the inmates of the Birdcage, that would probably be the best case scenario.
Taylor: Ugh, agreed. So, if I ever build an inescapable prison, first rule will be gender segregation along all possible lines. Then make sure no one can blast a hole in a wall to get around things.
Vortex: An excellent start! Now then, let's talk natural defenses versus high technology. Personally, I've always been a fan of the live volcano motif.