100-dTon TL12 Prison Transport

[Sageryne]

Hi all,

I worked with Robert Pearce (of Yet Another Traveller Blog) on a location called the Underground Prison Facility (available here):

https://travellerrpgblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/underground-prison-facility.html

The upper level of the prison included a starship for moving prisoners between facilities. I have written a description and specs to go with Robert's ship.

Please enjoy.

- Kerry

 

[rinku]

I have quite a few concerns that the engineering section and the bridge only have access through the area where prisoners are held. It seems to be totally relying on the prisoners remaining in their quarters, too.

Now, this one may be intended as a *poor* design (maybe converted from another purpose to prisoner ferry use?) as a setup for the prisoners indeed breaking out and taking control. In which case fair enough. But otherwise, I'd have thought the prisoner accommodations would be securely isolated from all other ship areas.

Worth considering, anyway.

 

[agentwigggles]

Well if the ship was design to maxiamilly make it possible for prisoners to the ship, then thats successful. Thats valid. Making ships to facility a story, is a good thing.
The more pragmatic/grounded/boring design eye, goes, why they arent packed in like corewood in cryopods.
Cant cause a ruckus if you're inanimate.

 

[rinku]

Cryopods have a medical overhead. Shipping them in cells works fine for me when it's just for occasional use. This is clearly NOT for mass prisoner transfer... for that job I quite like converting Subsidised Liners.

They already have a bank of low berths, and lots and lots of staterooms on that deck, with a separate bridge and engineering deck that has plenty of scope for all the crew quarters to be located there (Standard HG2022 deckplans say 4 High Staterooms on Deck 2, which could easily be turned into triple accommodation at Crew standards. Running the Ship crew requirements are 10; you won't need Stewards, but you would want to add security. So maybe leave one Luxury for the commander and the other three converted to house 9 other crew.

Security could bunk on the prisoner deck, though you'd ideally want to seal that area off from the cells. But adding some hatches to isolate the airlock and vertical access Staterooms would work. A secure hatch to the port of the vertical access, and ones across the starboard corridoor fore and aft of the airlock would do it. That isolates 5 staterooms, which would be enough for prisoner supervision and security staffing.



(There's also plenty of tonnage to use for other things on Deck 2 if you get rid of the pool and theatre. But I'd want that deck 2 airlock to be as secure as you could make it.)

 

[Sageryne]

I have quite a few concerns that the engineering section and the bridge only have access through the area where prisoners are held. It seems to be totally relying on the prisoners remaining in their quarters, too.

Now, this one may be intended as a *poor* design (maybe converted from another purpose to prisoner ferry use?) as a setup for the prisoners indeed breaking out and taking control. In which case fair enough. But otherwise, I'd have thought the prisoner accommodations would be securely isolated from all other ship areas.

Worth considering, anyway.

As per the text: The cell block with its ten prisoner cells and guard post is behind armored iris valves. The entire area and cells are covered with holographic cameras. The crew can see everything that is happening. This area is plumbed with multiple shots of knockout gas controlled from the bridge. One or two prisoners are assigned to each cell, depending on how dangerous they are considered. Meals are preprepared before departure and stored in the lockers (L) at each end of the hallway. The guards generally do not open the cells while in transit. Meals are slid through a cutout in the bottom of the door.

It is a conversion of the Wraith Class Ship. See Robert Pearce's design, on page 6 of the Starship Geomorph book at Yet Another Traveller Blog:

Starship Geomorphs 2.0

The Starship Geomorphs book has been revised and expanded and is now available for free download. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD STARSHIP GEOMORPH...

travellerrpgblog.blogspot.com

And yes, one of the reasons I like it is because prisoners could escape. Multiple people have complained that it should use low berths. If you goal is to only ever read Traveller ship designs and have an inescapable prison then, by all means. If your intent is to actually play Traveller as an RPG, then a GM should at least give the players a chance to escape.

 

[agentwigggles]

Well thats real design issue with space prisons. If they're escapable, then they had to be made by the incompetent designers in universe. Like your knock out gas and life support, and stuff, that can all be be done for cheaper and 100 percent more securely if they're all in cryopods.
Its a design problem that I havent seen a good solution that satisfies both competency in prisoner logistics and narrative need to for shenanigans.
I understand that there are various media stories of sci fi prison stories where they escape. And they all have bad designs.
The best solution that I have come across, is just lack of budget. Thats what allowed alcatraz to be escapble. Though sci fi prisons tend to be in hostile environments. So the lack of budget has to be in very hyper specific to where guards and security devices arent working well, but then doesnt result in the place just killing you. And if the sci if prison itself is just killing you, thats also shuts down shenanigans.
Like a space prison that has budget issues. There isnt enough guards, and the cameras dont work, but that is the only things not working. All the doors, and hvac and food and sewage all that works just fine though. We can still do metal fatque tests on the hull and that still getting replaced. We just switch to an honor system on the inside.

 

[rinku]

It's not much punishment, and has no chance of rehabilitation, if you put an offender on ice for 20 years.

For transport, sure. Cryoberths make sense, although there would be prisoners whose medical issues would make that dangerous.

But an actual space prison or prison planet is still going to have living, breathing and thinking beings to deal with. No one is going to be building a spaceship out of soap and old clothes, so an exile colony is a solid strategy.

An in-space prison has its own advantages; unruly inmates? Turn off the oxygen for a bit, or turn up the gravity a lot if things are really out of hand and you can justify injuries. Much cheaper than knock out gas (which may well be resistable. Tasers don't take down everyone either).

Further thought - a hatch on the entrance to each of the cell groups would be a simple measure to add security. You could convert either area into low berths - probably the starboard one.

 

[Arkathan]

Tasers don't take down everyone.

Roughly 10% of the population is resistant to EMDs.
Several factors increase the likelihood:
Electricians (trained during games of catch the capacitor)
Drug use (PCP, Excited Delerium)
Instructors (Zaps self for fun, class demonstrations and tour groups)

You would not believe the number of husbands who volunteered their wives to be shocked with an EMD. I would just stick it on my leg and let them see how it took control of muscles.

 

[rinku]

That percentage may well be higher among inmates, especially in the Far Future. Your average criminal has probably been stunned a few times over the years, and likely has done a few drugs too.

On the other hand, could be more effective against cheaper bionics...

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

I have quite a few concerns that the engineering section and the bridge only have access through the area where prisoners are held. It seems to be totally relying on the prisoners remaining in their quarters, too.

I'd make it modular. The prison section a module loaded before being picked up by the ship. No access to the module (or from it) while on the ship - none at all. Monitored electronically and with the ability to eject (with no power source) the module in case of insurrection aboard.

 

[rinku]

No access whatsoever seems problematic for a week in Jump. Secure access that is only used in an emergency would seem more practical to me. But there would be a range of design ideas that various authorities would choose, problematic or not.

Sageryne said that it's a conversion of another ship, which is probably what most of these kinds of ship are. Installing a modular section on an existing transport as opposed to putting in a couple of hatches is likely out of budget.

Another thought would be to make a cellblock cutter module. The cutter does the prisoner transport, and if interstellar transfer is needed, use a starship that it can dock with, like the Type-M. A stock Type-M can carry four 30 ton modules, although I'm not sure the in storage ones have any in-jump access (but that could be added, using an extra airlock). If each module carries 10 prisoners, allowing 10 tons for security and maybe guard accommodations, that's a decent transfer ability, and the ship has quarters to house guards being ferried to and from the facility.

 

[Sageryne]

Prison Transport with only Low Berths.

Enjoy.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

No access whatsoever seems problematic for a week in Jump. Secure access that is only used in an emergency would seem more practical to me.

Depends what is more important, making sure the prisoners don't take over the ship or the lives/comfort/security of the prisoners.