holding cell

[Komichi Aya]

I have the reception room, and there are many empty cells in my prison, but guard still continue escort inmate to my holding cell , even I close intake , guard still send prisoners to holding cell from somewhere. I never have this problem untill now, how to deal with it?

[AliciaG]

A screenshot of your prison may help, but some things to consider.
Do you have different quality cells? For every day without incident the prisoners will qualify for higher quality cells, but if there's no cell within 2 quality score then they'll be assigned to the holding cell.
Are the cells being considered valid? (all criteria having been met)

[mikewild74]

If your Cells are to highly rated for your Prisoners they will be taken to the Holding Cell.
Just remove your Holding cell (as it's not really needed if you have a Reception)

[AliciaG]

I converted my holding cell to a dormitory first thing.

[glenhaig]

That was happening to me too so I designated my holding cell for minimum security prisoners only. That way, I have a little bit of extra capacity if I need it but without dangerous prisoners being held together where they are likely to kick off.

[786mcqueen]

This happens to me also, on my latest prison. The cells are 4-man dorms and they've got almost everything, but most of them end up back in the holding cell. I have to designate it as "staff only" or remove the room name to flush them out into the blocks. This is annoying enough to be considered a bug, but at the very least it should be documented.

[Einermen]

I've had some almost prison breaking experiences with this problem, as half of my prisoners (about 300 prisoners and growing) were sent to my 15 by 10 holding cell. After panic building 15 bunk beds, I averted total chaos and only got 7 deaths... I like the holding cell as it provides a good buffer zone incase something happens to some of my dormitorys (I.E. I'm doing renovations:someone connected all of the toilets with tunnels [it happened..]) and would like to keep it without decreasing the quality of my dorms.

[Juiced2010]

It's been discussed multiple times before, but it doesn't look like a fix is in the works. Only real thing that works is to remove the designation. It empties out the room. I currently use 25-25 dormitory rooms in a 4 set pod with showers in between them making a single building 53 wide by 63 long building with a separate shower for each dorm with all the fixings (160 min security prisoners.) As they are all the same, the prisoners don't want to go back there after a trip to the hole (no lights, toilet, or bed.) So they fill up the holding cell. All I do is remove the holding cell for a day and things usually go back to normal. If the prisoners classification changes to a medium or high security prisoner, they go back to the holding cell as the dorms are only for min security. I take the holding cell out permanently and the higher classification levels usually end up going back to the hole and staying in those rooms if no other higher security cell is open. But a better programming fix needs to be done... Maybe another trip to reclassification and shipped out if they exceed your prisoner count?

[Ty]

I'm bumping this semi old thread in the hopes that somebody from Introvision will see this and fix this problem... It bugs the hell out of me and it hasn't been fixed yet

[Einermen]

I wish it was, I've tried to live with it but it just dosent work. My sugestion: get rid of the holding cell.

[Ty]

So, here is what is happening... if you don't have enough 1 and 2 quality cells, then prisoners who have committed some offence in your prision, weather it be fighting, found drugs, found weapons, etc. will be escorted to a low quality cell, if you dont have any or enough, they will go to the holding cell until they have earned a higher quality cell.


I understand what the developers where trying to do, but its annoying as hell. I have a constant stream of prisoners being transported in and out of my holding cell none stop. Its almost like a second punishment to go to a holding cell after they get out of solitary or lockdown.

[glenhaig]

Just designate it as staff only when you're not using it for extra capacity.

[Mr. Bear]

I've seen that as well and i think guards dump people into the holding cell because the game counts it as a Grade 0 cell, despite having no grade whatsoever. If you notice the ones that get to the holding cell are the ones that cause trouble. or the ones that arrive with contraband on them.

[UglyBird]

I have a similar problem since I restarted playing recently.
I build single cells, they are all ok but prisonners are not put in them.
I checked in logistics under cell quality and they do not highlight.
I reassign my cells to dormitories and no problem.
Cell rooms are not recognised?

[akopp3]

Originally posted by UglyBird:

I have a similar problem since I restarted playing recently.
I build single cells, they are all ok but prisonners are not put in them.
I checked in logistics under cell quality and they do not highlight.
I reassign my cells to dormitories and no problem.
Cell rooms are not recognised?

Do you have a fence around your prison? Screenshot?

[Ty]

Yea, this sounds like a different problem. I think akopp3 has it on the nose. It sounds like your cells are invalid because they are not secure.

Are they flashing yellow with the words "unsecure" when you look at them through the deployment screen???

Also, if these don't help you, please provide a screen shot like akopp3 asked.