The Brig is how Lighthouse handles situations where a member's access to the community needs to be temporarily restricted. If you've been placed in the Brig, it means staff have determined that a pause is needed -- usually because of a rule violation or behavioral concern.
Being placed in the Brig isn't the end of the road. It's a chance to take a step back, reflect, and work toward having your access restored.
When your account is placed in the Brig, several things happen right away:
You'll still be able to log in to the website and see your Dashboard, where you'll find information about your Brig status and how to move forward.
When you log in while in the Brig, your Dashboard will show a status card with:
Staff don't take this step lightly. The Brig is used when someone's behavior has impacted the community in a way that needs to be addressed. The specific reason will always be shown on your Dashboard so you know exactly what happened.
We don't list every possible reason here -- the community rules cover expectations for behavior. If you're ever unsure why you were placed in the Brig, the reason on your Dashboard is the best place to start, and you can ask about it in your appeal.
When you're placed in the Brig, you'll receive a notification (by email and any other channels you've set up in your notification preferences). This notification includes the reason and information about when you can appeal.
You'll also be notified if staff update your Brig status -- for example, if the reason or release date changes. When your waiting period ends, you'll get another notification letting you know you're eligible to appeal. And if your appeal is successful and you're released, you'll get a final notification confirming that your access has been restored.
In most cases, the Brig isn't permanent. Once your waiting period is over, you can submit an appeal to staff explaining your situation and what steps you're taking to ensure the behavior doesn't happen again. Staff will review it and decide whether to restore your access.
For a step-by-step guide on the appeal process, see Submitting an Appeal.
In rare cases involving duplicate accounts or other serious situations, staff may mark an account as permanently confined. If this applies to your account, you'll see a "Permanently Confined" message on your Dashboard instead of the standard Brig status card.
Permanently confined accounts cannot submit appeals. If you believe this has been applied to your account in error, you'll need to contact staff directly through another means. You'll receive a notification if this status is ever removed from your account.