For Coconut Man and Ling Ling, the deck was stacked against them.
The protagonists were surrounded, outnumbered and desperate. They were on a rescue mission to save two kids abducted by the Children of Ascension — a cult with their sights set on young people with super powers. Dice in hand, the players behind Coconut Man and Ling Ling were ready to take a chance.
“I want to do the big typhoon,” Coconut Man announced to the table.
The move connected, sending a pool of water over a fraction of the foes still left to fend off. The struggle continued as the groups traded blows, right up until the minute the players had to clean up and return to their rooms at Multnomah County’s Donald E. Long Detention Center.
For two and a half hours every Friday, a handful of youth in detention get to let loose, shed any labels they carry and play at being heroes through a fantasy board game. Rob Farris, the volunteer who coordinates the program, said it’s a rewarding sight to see the players leave their bravado and tough images at the door to lighten up for a few hours.
“There’s a lot of willingness for them to be goofy and sink into that childlike curiosity that comes with the game,” Farris said.
Farris is a longtime Dungeons & Dragons player who used to work for Wizards of the Coast — the company that publishes the game and many others. He petitioned to start running games inside the youth detention center shortly after moving to Portland in 2023, and Multnomah County pulled strings to make it happen. The group had their first game in January 2024.
It’s part of a list of enrichment activities the county sponsors for the young people serving time in juvenile detention, officials said. Other pastimes coordinated by volunteers include gardening, yoga, basketball and art. Those in detention are typically 12- to 17-years-old, the county said.
But roleplaying games like the one the boys behind Ling Ling and Coconut Man played on a recent Friday offer more than just a safe space to be a kid, Farris said. Such games can also be an opportunity to explore identity in a challenging setting and connect with other youth in detention.
“There’s this idea that these boys get villainized, and I believe that to be true sometimes,” Farris said. “This is an opportunity for them to be heroes.”
The group typically includes anywhere from three to six players and most participants usually have more time remaining in their detention sentences. Farris said he does that to keep everything consistent, as games like Dungeons & Dragons can stretch on for months or even years. The stories they play through range in length and intensity, and Farris recently switched to a new game system that’s easier to learn.
Each player gets to choose their character, abilities and backstory. They use AI-generated art to bring some of those ideas to life. Farris said he’s seen the gamut, ranging from brooding and serious to downright silly.
“They imprint themselves into the story in really cool ways,” he said.
It’s also been an incentive to help with behavior issues, giving the players at the table something they might not want to lose out on by getting into trouble, Farris said.
Juvenile Custody Services Specialist Kim Pohl holds a front row seat to most of the game sessions, and said it’s a good space for those in detention to be themselves in a way they don’t get to otherwise.
“I didn’t know until it really got started what that was going to look like,” Pohl said. “But we were very quickly and pleasantly surprised to find out that it was really helping some kids with communication, self-expression and social skills with other kids.”
The boys behind the game characters of Coconut Man and Ling Ling, who were not identified due to their age and detention center policy, said the program is a good break from day-to-day life at Donald E. Long.
“Every character I’ve created is based on something I’ve seen in my life, like movies or shows,” the youth playing Ling Ling said. “It feels good to be able to put myself in that type of position and just think like that person.”
“I just do it to have fun,” the player known as Coconut Man said.
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