Star Trek
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
Rules
1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
All posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.
4 Be nice
If a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.
5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.
7 Meta
Questions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.
Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-07 | LD 5x04 | "A Farewell to Farms" |
| 11-14 | LD 5x05 | "Starbase 80?!" |
| 11-21 | LD 5x06 | "Of Gods and Angels" |
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (2025)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
view the rest of the comments
From the opening log of "Whom Gods Destroy":
So, at least this one TOS episode indicates that there is only one small facility which the Federation uses to house all the remaining criminally insane people in the galaxy. I think we can assume that by the galaxy, Kirk actually means the Federation. But as of that era, there apparently exists a medication that they believe will cure people of mental illness.
How much stock we want to put in one third season TOS episode I think can be debated -- and crucially we never get any confirmation as to the long term success of the medication -- but it is part of the canon.
There is also the Tantalus V penal colony from "Dagger of the Mind". Before they beam down, Kirk tells McCoy that it's more like a resort colony than a cage, though the doctor who ran the facility was using a machine to essentially brainwash both inmates and staff.
As for incarceration and rehabilitation in the 24th century, we know Tom Paris was at the New Zealand Penal Settlement when Janeway sprung him, with the approval of the Rehab Commission. When we see the settlement, the prisoners appear to be doing some sort of labour: one is carrying something, and Paris appears to be calibrating some sort of machinery. Granted, we don't know exactly what he was doing or why. Maybe he was working on a project he volunteered for or even conceived himself, and was given access to the resources to carry it out.
Ro Laren was on the Jaros II penal colony after her court martial. She was sprung from that by Admiral Kennelly, and he claims it was difficult to do so.
Kasidy Yates was incarcerated for six months for aiding the Maquis, though there's never any indication that the sentence isn't purely punitive.
In "Blaze of Glory" we saw that after his capture in "For the Uniform", Michael Eddington was being held aboard a station in a fairly small cell. He was still wearing civilian clothes. It's possible he hadn't yet been formally tried and convicted, though.
I was also thinking of “Dagger of the Mind.” When Kirk tries to reassure McCoy that the colony is more like a resort, he replies “A cage is a cage, Jim.” Always thought that was interesting, indicating McCoy is essentially a prison abolitionist, though not indicating that that is the dominant view that has won out in the federation.