Chess — Jail and Prison Conditions — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

Jail and Prison Conditions

Even if an inmate's sentence is not oppressively long, their treatment while incarcerated can still constitute subhuman treatment. Prisons are not medical facilities, but they regularly are forced to deal with mental health problems and care for elderly and terminally ill inmates. Food, if it's even edible, usually lacks enough nutrition for inmates' health to not deteriorate. Plus, with a lack of opportunities to see family, read, or gain skill sets, inmates are placed in buildings which lack any resemblance of the civilized world.

Chess Tournament At Cook County Jail Seeks To Teach Inmates Critical Thinking; ‘It Makes My Mind Move’

“Chess players from all over the world were facing off in a first of its kind tournament on Tuesday, in a place you might not expect: jail. Inmates at Cook County Jail have been taking part in a round-robin chess tournament online, competing against inmates from six other countries: Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, England, Italy, and Russia. The Cook County Sheriff’s office said it’s the first international prisoner chess tournament of its kind. For the inmates, it’s about a lot more than chess. Some said playing chess is teaching them how to make better life decisions.“

CBS 2 Chicago

August 6, 2019

Access to Outside World, Prison ProgramsPhillip ReevesAugust 6, 2019CBS 2 Chicago, Cook County, Chicago, ChessComment

Jail and Prison Conditions

Galsworthy CJR Program

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