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Overview
The Prison System is a planned gameplay expansion for inZOI that will replace the current basic jail experience with full prison facilities. The system was announced as part of the July 2026 update in the 2026 Roadmap Part 1 letter published on December 26, 2025. As of April 25, 2026, the feature has not yet shipped on the live build (v0.7.5) and remains in active development.
The current incarceration mechanic, documented in Prison and Jail, places arrested Zois in a small cell at a police station for approximately 24 in-game hours. The Prison System expands this into a separate, larger facility with more activities, more amenities, and more meaningful gameplay during the sentence period.
Confirmed Facilities
Facility | Purpose |
|---|---|
Yard | Outdoor exercise space where prisoners can spend time, build relationships with other inmates, and pursue physical activities. |
Library | Reading and study space. Will likely allow skill development during incarceration, similar to how reading boosts the Critical Thinking skill in normal gameplay. |
Workshop | Specifically described as supporting laundry and sewing tasks. Will likely provide meaningful work during the prison sentence with potential skill or income benefits. |
Lounge | Social space for inmates to gather, relax, and form connections with other Zois serving sentences. |
Cafeteria | Communal dining area where inmates eat meals on a fixed schedule. |
Shower Area | Hygiene facility for the Hygiene need. |
Visitation Room | Space where outside Zois can visit incarcerated household members. Maintains family and friendship relationships during longer sentences. |
Connection to the Crime System
The Prison System will integrate with the existing crime infrastructure that has been built up across multiple updates.
Crime introduces the broader crime framework.
Crime Score determines arrest thresholds. The Prison System is the destination for Zois with high enough Crime Scores to receive longer sentences.
Trial and Justice System feeds into the prison system. Trial outcomes will determine sentence length and prison conditions.
Prison and Jail covers the current short-term jail experience that exists before the full Prison System launches.
Gangster Career and Criminal Careers will face higher prison risk as the trial system matures.
Connection to the July 2026 Update
The Prison System is one of three features bundled in the July 2026 update:
Travel System: Full inter-city household relocation.
Cahaya Resort Expansion: Enhanced resort content on Cahaya.
Prison System: Full prison facilities (this article).
Timeline
Date | Status |
|---|---|
December 26, 2025 | First announced in the 2026 Roadmap Part 1 letter as the July 2026 deliverable. |
March 26, 2026 | Roadmap reaffirmed at the anniversary livestream as part of the Q3 plan. |
April 17, 2026 | Community letter confirmed the realigned 1.0 timeline. Prison System remains the July 2026 milestone. |
Current target | July 2026 (per published roadmap). |
Open Questions
Sentence length ranges. Currently, jail is approximately 24 in-game hours. Prison sentences are likely to scale up to multiple in-game days for serious crimes.
Whether prisons exist as separate community lots in each city or as instanced facilities.
How parole, early release, and visitation requests work mechanically.
Whether other Zois can be sentenced as NPCs (e.g., your neighbour gets sent to prison and you can visit them).
What the workshop and library activities mean in skill and income terms.
See Also
Prison and Jail covers the current jail experience. Crime lists every criminal action. Crime Score tracks the numeric threshold for arrests. Trial and Justice System covers the courtroom and sentencing flow. Travel System is bundled with the same July 2026 update. 2026 Roadmap tracks delivery status.