I do not care for the idea of indefinite prison stays, as others have said. The time limit exists in order to keep the game fun. Spending a week in prison is already really crappy. Any longer and people are just going to get frustrated and/or angry.
I also do not care for the idea of a random chance of death in prison. You have an execute button; if it makes sense (the character has been too flippant or has actively angered Overlord), push the button. If it's someone who has been quiet and/or appropriately cowed, let it slide.
Personally I think that all of this might be a bit of an overreaction, Tom. I get that you are trying to foster a certain thematic mood here, but to some extent you have to let the players react to it in their own way. You cannot force them to RP desperation, despair and fear, and if you try you're going to generate *actual* despair and also outright anger in the player base. I had someone rage-pause their characters in Fronen today (as I believe you well know, based on your second message to the island), and there was OOC complaining from other people. I don't think they were the least bit justified, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a consequence of and reaction to your first message. If you push too hard, you'll only get more of that. I think things are plenty grim enough as it is; only the most blindly optimistic of players is going to be feeling good about our chances at present. No need to add insult to injury by detailing just how much worse we should be feeling. If people want to RP their characters as foolish bravados with big mouths, well, that's how some people genuinely react to hopeless situations. You can't expect every character to give in to desperation anymore than you can expect every person to meekly submit to oppression in real life; there will always be brave or foolish people who attempt to fight back.
