Prisoner conversion is an Early Access Prison system still being improved: inspect the captive, use only the current build's supported handling route, then recruit the result through the interface shown now.
Start from official conversion boundaries
Official descriptions say captured enemies can be handled through fear, indoctrination, punishment or execution, and conversion can turn an enemy into a colony citizen. They do not provide a permanent success rate, required action count, timer, or best route.
An August developer update identified capture and prisoner conversion as high-priority player-feedback areas. That is direct evidence that the system and its interaction quality remain subject to change. Record the build before following any workflow.
Inspect the captive before choosing
Confirm that the captive reached the Prison and read the attributes and status visible in the active interface. Do not infer a hidden conversion chance from species, role, quality, or an old screenshot. The supplied research supports inspection but not a complete current formula.
Also confirm capacity and colony readiness. A converted citizen adds to the population side of the colony loop, so food, housing, wages, and available work should be stable before the process is treated as automatically beneficial.
The Prison guide separates unlock, intake, status, and processing when the captive or an action is missing.
Distinguish official outcomes from player routes
Community samples describe indoctrination and electroshock as two routes seen in particular builds. They also warn that repeated electroshock can kill the captive. Because those are player-reported interactions, electroshock must be treated as a risky observed route rather than a free official shortcut.
Follow the labels and warnings shown by the current build. If the interface no longer presents one of those terms, do not reconstruct it from an old post. This article intentionally omits a fixed daily schedule and exact number of actions.
Finish recruitment after conversion
A completed conversion may still require a separate recruitment or management action before the person joins the colony or an expedition group. Verify the current status, then use the building or screen the active build identifies. Do not assume the Prison alone performs every follow-up step.
After recruitment, recheck the food and work chain. The soldier hunger and food guide explains why visible food production is not the same as usable supply for a larger population.
Do not confuse conversion with another use
Community material also mentions captives being used in unit-upgrade contexts. That is a different outcome from turning a captive into a colony member. Read the current action and expected result before committing the captive; do not use “convert,” “recruit,” and “upgrade material” as interchangeable names.
Recheck the workflow after Prison updates
When official notes mention capture, Prison inventory, captive status, interrogation, or conversion, retire old button paths and repeat the workflow from the current interface. Preserve the save before testing and record what the active build actually shows. The supported conclusion is that conversion exists and is evolving—not that one historical sequence will always succeed.