The Impact of Chess in Prisons
Several former prisoners have spoken of the impact learning chess had on their lives, giving them a positive leisure pursuit and in some cases allowing them to rehabilitate into society upon release:
Eugene Brown: The Big Chair Chess Club - think before you move: Eugene Brown’s experience of chess in prison inspired him to found a chess club for inner city children to keep them away from a life of crime. Celebrated in the film Life of a King.
Claude Bloodgood was initially received a death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment. He played thousands of correspondence games to a very high standard in prison.
John Healy discovered a rare aptitude for chess in prison and beat titled players when he was released. His story was covered in his inspirational autobiography The Grass Arena and the film Barbaric Genius.
Genesis Potini played chess in prison and set up the Gisborne Eastern Knights Chess Club to encourage Maori children away from drugs and crime. His story was iImmortalised in the film The Dark Horse.
Hollywood star Woody Harrelson and CSC CEO Malcolm Pein visit HMP Wormwood Scrubs. You can read about this visit here.
Chess in prisons around the world
The CSC Prisons’ Programme is one of several similar project around the world:
Canada: “Judges sentence youth offenders to chess, with promising results.”
US - Rikers Island: “Chess is king in helping to educate inmates.”
US - Cook County: “Sheriff introduces jail chess program.”
US - New Jersey Trenton: “I just wish I’d discovered chess when I was 10.”
US - Michigan FCI Milan: “In the streets there are no stalemates.”
Russia: “Russia and US jail inmates in Skype chess tournament.”
Italy: “Since I started attending the course, it seems to me I never have enough time.”
France: “French Chess Federation partners with the Directorate of Judicial Youth Protection.”
Jamaica: “Prison chess game to go Islandwide next year.”
New Zealand: “Instead of fighting straight away I now think about the consequences.”
Egypt. “We made chess out of soap.”
Uruguay. “It was an escape from the reality of Prison life.”
South Africa. “You discover a lot of things about yourself playing chess.”
