Governor James Devlin

Governor James Devlin is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz, played by Željko Ivanek.

James Devlin is the governor of an unspecified U.S. state in Oz's fictional universe. After campaigning on a law and order platform that includes "no perks for prisoners", Devlin enacts legislation designed to emphasize punishment in the state's correctional system. Devlin's draconian measures make him a figure hated by Oz's inmate population, and by several staff members.

Throughout the series, Devlin finds himself in legal controversies stemming from his political corruption. His situation reaches a head when Wilson Loewen, a mayor who helped him get elected, is incarcerated in Oz after being convicted of murder. Loewen begins to divulge Devlin's secrets to Oz's staff, implicating the governor in crimes that could send him to prison.

Devlin is frequently shown as opportunistic and morally dubious, using strict legislation to deflect attention from his illicit activities. Despite his political image, Devlin is shown as a sadistic elitist only out for himself, an image he doesn't bother to hide in private. He knows that the public views him as such but will vote for him because he gets the results they want.

James Devlin is elected governor of an unspecified U.S. state, making the slogan "No Perks for Prisoners" a cornerstone of his campaign. Once in office, Devlin enacts legislation emphasizing punishment in his state's correctional system, reflecting his philosophy that this will eventually reduce crime. Throughout the season, Devlin prohibits several basic freedoms, such as smoking and conjugal visits, from inmates statewide; as a result, tension builds within the prison walls. Devlin also reinstates the death penalty, which had been abolished in the state for thirty years.

Kareem Saïd, an inmate at the Oswald State Correctional Facility, and Tim McManus, the manager of the prison's "Emerald City" unit, openly oppose Devlin. However, the governor's edicts are enforced by both the Commissioner of Prisons and Warden Leo Glynn. At the end of the season, Saïd decides to protest Devlin's measures by leading Oz's inmates in a prison riot, issuing a list of demands and holding several guards hostage. While Glynn and McManus feel that several of the demands are reasonable, Devlin orders a SWAT team to recapture Emerald City by any means necessary. During the ensuing violence, two guards and six inmates are killed while Emerald City is left a ruin.

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