Pickleball Breaks Out in Prisons
Roger BelAir teaches pickleball in some of the most well-known gated communities — maximum security prisons , that is . San Quentin , Folsom State Prison and California State Prison in Sacramento to name a few . Hollywood filmmaker Daniel Ostroff has been working on a powerful documentary , “ Pickleball in Prison™ ,” which chronicles Roger ’ s journey and how the game is a force for good , breaking down barriers and promoting positive social interactions , which can contribute to rehabilitation . by STEVE KETTMANN photos by KIM KOMENICH
Six years ago , Candace BelAir and her husband , Roger , were watching the CBS news program “ 60 Minutes ,” as they did most Sundays . A gripping report came on , narrated by correspondent Lesley Stahl , about Sheriff Tom Dart and the Cook County Jail in Illinois . Life for the 10,000 inmates looked grim and tedious .
“ Look at them , they ’ re just sitting around ,” Roger BelAir remembers saying to his wife that night . “ They ought to be playing pickleball !”
He was dead serious . BelAir , still a relatively new convert to pickleball himself at the time , was fired up . He left the room to think over his idea . Later , he circled back to his wife , still watching TV .
“ I ’ m going there ,” he vowed . “ I ’ m going to teach them the game .”
Before long , improbably enough , BelAir was teaching pickleball to Cook County inmates . One jail visit led to another . It made sense : Why not try teaching pickleball to inmates ? It might help them get along better . It might help prepare them for life on the outside . It would definitely be fun . Soon he was in demand , teaching pickleball in prisons in multiple states .
“ Going into a prison is a lot like going into a Catholic church in Italy — they ’ re all the same , but they ’ re all different ,” BelAir says . “ Most people in prison are pretty good at sizing people up . If they weren ’ t , they might be dead . They ’ ve got real street smarts . So , within 20 minutes or so , they ’ ve got me figured out . They know I ’ m not there to talk about my hip replacement or my
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JULY / AUGUST 2024 | MAGAZINE 29