Full Refunds for F22 organized events may be requested up to two (2) weeks before the start date of the event. After two weeks, refunds may be issued in the form of a credit and will incur a fee of $125 in addition to any expenses that may have been incurred with event preparation for your participation. Refunds requested on the event start date thereafter will be at F22 discretion and require proof of extenuating circumstance.
F22 intends to honor every refund in accordance with the refund police as published per the purchase date, however F22 reserves the right to change this refund policy at any time without notice.
F22 has a fully functioning climate control system providing air conditioning and heating, as needed. During lodging events, blankets are provided as part of the bed set.
F22 is constructed of concrete and metal. It is fire resistant and is an EF-5 rated structure, meaning it can withstand winds over 200MPH. In the event of an emergency, F22 staff regularly practice emergency procedures and are prepared to assist.
Several air, water, and substance tests have been conducted to ensure the air your breathe is clean, our city-supplied water is potable, and the materials used to construct the facility are safe.
Due to the unique nature of participating in an event in an authentic jail, participants will be asked to complete a limited liability waiver prior to the event.
Most people fly into Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Other airports including Midway, Rockford and Quad City are also options depending on specific travel plans. The drive from ORD to the facility is approximately 2 hours without traffic.
Once your application is accepted the F22 address will be provided to you. The jail is located in Princeton, Illinois, approximately a 2-hour drive west of Chicago.
Arriving to F22 by car is the most direct option. The property includes a small parking area directly in front of the building as well as a large parking lot adjacent to the property. Please do not park in assigned spaces.
For Role-play specific events, please see the Role-play Events FAQ for specifics regarding accessing the facility as an inmate or guard participant.
The events are usually 3 days, Friday to Sunday afternoon. We will start cleaning up and slowly transitioning out of roleplay Sunday afternoon. Participants may stay on site until Monday morning. Everyone is asked to depart by 10:00 AM Monday morning.
To keep the prison roleplay authentic, we encourage inmates not to use their phones during the event. But we understand some might need to check in with work, family, etc. Therefore, we allow one or two cell phone checks per day; usually one in the morning and one in the evening. Cell phones will be collected at intake or it’s best to place them with your stored belongings.
If you are an inmate, it is highly suggested you come into town no later than Thursday evening. Most inmates stay at the same hotel. It is recommended getting in contact with a few other inmates and rent a vehicle together if you are coming from ORD. Specific instructions will be provided prior to the event including the facility address and the Friday surrender time. Due to the number of inmates during an event, surrender times will be staggered to flow participants through the intake process.
If you are a guard, we welcome the guards to show up on Thursday, one day before the event.
If you selected this option during the application process, you will be given a location and time near F22 to report to. There, you will be met by F22 guards that will discreetly place you under arrest and put you in their vehicle for transport to the jail. You will understand immediately that you are no longer free as the guards will take physical and mental control over you.
A fully booked event can have more than 30 people attending. We are very particular in who is invited to an event partly due to the sensitivity of occupations of some participants. There are participants that work in public safety (law enforcement, firefighters, EMT’s, etc.), lawyers, doctors, and other highly sensitive career positions who request discretion. We strive to protect our players and have a drama-free event. If you are interested in attending an event, please fill out the questionnaire and submit it. You will be contacted. Next steps could include a video call to introduce ourselves and get to know you. We will explain the event, find out your expectations, and answer any questions you might have. Once we feel you will be a good fit, you will complete the event application form.
Upon completing the event registration form you will be added to a private Telegram group for that event. In this group you will be able to chat with other F22 players. This platform is also used for all announcements regarding the event.
Please note: In order to come to the event, you must complete the event application which will include your REAL Name, address, and emergency contact information. We respect stage names, and we will use that for the event, but for the application process, all real names will be used. The only individuals that have access to your real information are the admin team. To date, we’ve never had to use anyone’s emergency contact information, but if something did happen, we want to be prepared. If you are not comfortable giving this information, you will not be able to participate in a roleplay event.
The easiest way to answer this question is to ask yourself, does your equipment get used in a real prison or jail setting? If the answer is no, then more than likely the answer will be no, we will not use it. As this is a jail roleplay event, it is possible any of the following prison equipment could be used on you: handcuffs, leg cuffs, connection chains, belly chains, padlocks, black boxes, transport hoods, transport restraints, spit hoods, handcuff tubes, and suicide smocks. Strait jackets and humane restraints have been used, but this would be on a case-by-case basis and it’s not guaranteed to experience them. If you are interested in bringing equipment, whether it’s cuffs or strait jacket, make sure they are approved and marked somehow so we know they are yours. All handcuffs must use the standard NIJ handcuff key. One goal for F22 is to provide the most accurate and realistic jail experience, as possible.
Inmates:
Includes all uniforms needed for the event (inmate jumpsuit or scrub top and bottom, T-shirt, boxers, socks, and slides).
Bedding (mattress, pillow, pillowcase, sheet, blanket).
Toiletries (TP, body wash, shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream and razor).
Meals:
Lunch and dinner on Day 1.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on day 2.
Breakfast and lunch on Day 3.
If you are staying Sunday night into Monday morning, guards and inmates may select to enjoy a restaurant meal together near the jail at the individual’s expense.
Guards:
Mattress and bed, pillow, pillowcase, sheet and blanket. If you feel more comfortable bringing your own bedding or pillow, that’s fine.
Lunch and dinner the day before the event starts, plus breakfast, lunch and dinner for the event. You also have access to the kitchen area for snacks or drinks.
Uniform: we offer polos for the event, and you have the option to purchase the polo after the event if you would like. As for pants and utility belt items, we will send you the links to purchase those. We do not provide them due to so many different sizes, it would be hard to keep that many different pairs.
Inmates may bring a clear bag that has all your medical necessary items in them such as your medication, CPAP, glasses, contacts etc. All inmates will handle their own medication. This clear bag is considered off limits to play. The inmate can NOT use the bag to hide contraband and the guards can’t search the bag. Distilled water will be provided for your CPAP.
At F22, safety is our number one priority. This isn’t a play space. The cell doors are designed to hold inmates in. They are unforgiving and there are several layers of doors between inmates and freedom. A push button is provided in each cell that alerts the control room displaying which cell rang the bell.
If you need to speak with a guard outside of roleplay, ask the guard to speak with your lawyer. This will indicate the need to have a private conversation with a member of the guard or admin team. You will be taken to an area that is private to have the conversation.
At Facility 22, we use the traditional traffic light safe word system. This goes for both guards and inmates. Either side can use the safe words.
Green – Everything is good, keep going.
Yellow – I am being pushed to the edge of my limits, slowdown.
Red – Stop the scene and reset if possible.
Rules – We have both hard rules and soft rules. These will be issued to you when you sign up for the event and will have a copy in your cell.
Hard Rules – Followed by both the guards and the inmates. If you break these rules, it may result in your being asked to leave. These rules consist of safety, or something that could jeopardize the event.
Soft Rules – Rules for the inmates to follow. If they don’t follow them, it may result in a hearing with the warden and a punishment may be issued (all part of the play).
The cost at F22 might surprise you and might be more affordable than you might think. It might be the same or less than an average night at a hotel. For guards, the price is significantly less than an inmate due to the fact you have to purchase your own uniforms and utility gear. For exact pricing, inquire about joining our event and we will provide that information. The price stays the same if you decide this event is not for you and you decide to leave early. Our inmate count is based off how many guards are signed up for the event. Therefore, we would like each participant to stay the entire event to keep our ratio. But we understand this event might not be for everyone and you choose to leave early.
During our events, we strive for a 2:1 or less inmate to guard ratio with a minimum of 2 guards on-site throughout the event.
We do all our cooking on site. We provide a balanced meal. We provide new meals at each event, but some meals that we have provided in the past can range from:
Breakfast – sandwiches/wraps, pancakes with sausage or bacon, yogurt with fruit.
Lunch – wraps, burgers, sandwiches, salads.
Dinner – spaghetti, meatball subs, grilled chicken sides – baked beans, coleslaw, fruits, vegetables, chips.
During registration, there is an option to select if you have any food allergies and if you are a vegan, gluten free, dairy free or vegetarian.
F22 strives to provide a realistic county jail experience. This includes work details necessary to keep the jail operating. A menu of experiences will guide the weekend. While not guaranteed, past experiences have included:
Kitchen duty
Laundry duty
Chain gang
Inmate court appearances
Periods of solitary confinement
Discipline hearings and punishments for inmates charged with behavior or soft rules violations
Multiple levels of security for playing may be used depending on the event and your personal level of play. Your day is influenced by your behavior. Disciplinary issues exhibited by inmates will be swiftly dealt with and may result in the application of additional behavioral modification methods.
The ability to participate in activities outside of the jail will be influenced by the weather conditions and any activities taking place near the facility.
This was a real jail that closed. The jail is made of concrete and hard metals which can be unforgiving. The walls and doors are designed to keep people locked inside. Follow the rules that are provided and everyone will be fine.
Safety is our number one priority. There are multiple participants and admin staff members that are CPR certified. At some events participants may include those that are trained as EMT/Medics. Basic medical equipment is on site if ever needed.
At F22, we strive to make roleplay events as realistic as possible. Intakes are part of the process of coming to an F22 jail roleplay event.
Photos may be taken during the event by a member of the guard or admin team. Many participants want the ability to remember their event through photos. However, we are know some individuals do not want to be in photos, or do not want any identifying characteristics captured in photos. As part of the application process participants are asked what their comfort level with photos will be and the team will follow those requests.
It is expected most participants will be traveling to the event and will have luggage or belongings to store. Specific instructions on how to label personal items or luggage will be provided prior to your event. All items will be safely and securely stored.
Bring enough clothes to cover your travel days and surrender day. During intake, your clothes and personal items on you will be taken, itemized and stored until your parole.
You are permitted to have an “off limits” bag in your cell. This bag is NOT in play and may not be used to smuggle contraband into the jail. Guards will not search the off limits bag at any time. Consider placing the following items in the off limits bag:
Medications you will need to self-administer
CPAP machine
Glasses/glass case
Anything you absolutely can’t be without for three days
Remember, you are going to jail! To maintain head space and the theme of the event, you are encouraged not to bring a lot with you to have in the off limits bag. Going to jail can be boring and lonely. It can also be highly energized and noisy. Inmates are stripped physically and figuratively when they enter jail. The guards will give you directions and you are expected to comply. This is a less is more opportunity.
F22’s authentic jail environment allows you to theme your event to this unique facility. Weddings, bachelor and bachelorette parties, team building, celebrations and even escape attempts (escape room) are possible. Contact us and let’s discuss how to make your private event a memorable occasion.
Yes! F22 can accommodate a limited number of participants overnight. Bedding is provided and the cell locks may be disabled. A barracks style quarters is also available for those who do not wish to sleep in a cell. Please inquire as to costs and availability during your event discussion.
Yes! Imagine the authenticity of eating from jail appropriate metal trays and drinking from tin cups, while feasting on a menu you helped to create. F22 has a fully equipped kitchen capable of feeding up to 40 event participants. When contacting us, let us know you are interested in catering your event.
Unfortunately, F22 does not have an alcohol license at this time. However, during your catering discussion we can discuss non-alcoholic specialty beverages to enhance your event.
Depending on the type of event you are hosting, below are some of the jail elements that could be accommodated :
Wearing authentic jail uniforms
Use of handcuffs, leg cuffs or other authentic law enforcement restraints
Dining from metal/tin prison trays and cups
Being processed into jail including mug shots, charging sheets and facility wrist bands
Being locked in a jail cell
Mock court hearing
