I find it easier to setup a dog patrol around the cell blocks, and search the nearby cells when the dog sniffs something and marks it with a flag.

I'm glad you brought that up. :D I set up dog patrols around the outside, and they did help me find stop the big escape, but only after dozens of tunnels had been dug under the cell block. In your experience, is it better to use dogs inside?

I tried having them inside, but i have already guards assigned to the cell block, so i set the dog patrols on the outside of the block, but near the cell walls, even with false positives, if they keep marking the same spot after afew rounds, something is up. Sometimes i have to do multiple searches untill the tunnel is found tough.

FYI, if you have Sachys in your prison, I just caught him trying to tunnel out of mine.

Day 49: Distaster at another prison causes 38 MAXIMUM SECURITY inmates to arrive at my jail. It was all going so well.

Very useful info regarding tunnellers here.

Although this predates the alpha (so most of it is out), as far as I remember, digging prisoners still do not move when sleeping!

What exactly are my informants doing? :P I hire them, keep them around till they hit 100% coverage, and activate them. So, the go to security, stand there a while, and leave. What am I getting out of them?

if you look around the map, icons of contraband will appear, along with targets for those in danger (sometimes themselves, other snitch types, ex law enforcement etc), occasionally you'll also get tunnels and other info out of them.
theres a thin bar on the suspicion bar that I presume shows how suspect they are to the general populace - if that hits high they suddenly stop having much info of use and its best to segregate them into protective... or they end up dead.
problem with that is, they're then a target for beig protected (or so it seems), so often end up dead anyways - as its really hard to properly segregate them without prior planning, which requires funds, time etc. I'll often begin by secioning off areas of the prison with gates at junctions, then use the deplyment screen to ensure theres some "staff only" barrier preventing them from intermingling - along with a time schedule.

Edit: As to the info icons on the map they bring up when in the office (make sure you're on the intel / informants tab to see it), you can search those prisoners or move them if targeted.

How vital is a Forestry? Obviously I want the wood to make expensive beds but I'd really like the extra space too.

I tend to find if ive made a good build with cell blocks etc, there qill usually be a small "verge" at the backof the prison I can fit a few forestry strips into - dont forget in the long term they make you profit. And without them I think you have to spend more on imported wood etc for the workshop.

Anyone here have SuperMax?

Are they even allowed out of their cells? I need to know so I can determine if I need build a separate yard and workshop. I did that for my first death row only to find out they can't leave their cells. :P

cant advise you here - only times ive done either were in early access and BOTH sec levels left their cells (supposedly under escort I think - never happened though - but riots did).

Also, I told you to not put me in solitary! ;D

I went ahead and built a separate SuperMax section (only six cells) with it's own showers and dining. Problem is I haven;t gotten any SuperMax prisoners yet and no one in Max has done anything bad enough to warrant my putting them in there.

told you before, its not a case of "if you build it, they will come" - its a case of it will happen - then you will need it (thats what your initial holding cells are for really.

death row is summat else - you'll maybe get one once in a blue moon and it costs a bomb to setup - have a bomb ready to blow when you see one on the intake sheet (and LOADS of security measures).