Their escape behind bars

To those on the inside, its a vital aspect of life, a rare opportunity for growth. To some on the outside, its an outrage.

By Michael Dobie | Staff Correspondent

July 11, 2004

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WALLKILL - First in a series

Johnny Aufiero strained against the 500-pound weight at his feet. Hands clamped on the bar like vises, his body trembled as he struggled to hoist the load. Sweat beaded on his face, the air thick with noise and heat. The bar reached his waist, completing the lift, and Aufiero let go, the weight clanging to the floor.

Aufiero smiled. A coach hugged him. Teammates clapped him on the shoulder. Then it was back to what seemed to be just another workout for just another group of weightlifters.

Except that Aufiero was a murderer. So were his coach and most of his 20 or so teammates. Others had been convicted of kidnapping, assaulting a police officer, armed robbery and drug possession. Together they comprised the New York State prison champion powerlifting team at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in New York.

The scene was not unusual: Inmates play sports in nearly every prison in the country.

Inmates ride in rodeos in Louisiana and Oklahoma. They play against semipro baseball teams in California. They play tennis and bocci in federal facilities.

In most of New York's 70 state prisons, inmates participate in intramural leagues in basketball, softball, flag football, soccer, volleyball and handball. Many prisons offer separate leagues for inmates over 40. Some inmates play on all-star teams against outside squads.

Interviews with more than 150 inmates, prison officials and experts in corrections reveal that organized sports are an essential part of the fabric of prison life, and a vital component of both security and rehabilitation.

And yet, prison sports has been besieged by cycles of political attacks and budget cutbacks, some of which are ongoing. Georgia and Arizona gutted strong sports and recreation programs in the past 10 years. Some states banned weightlifting. Federal legislation passed in 1996 barred the purchase of new weightlifting equipment in federal facilities; many states followed suit.

In most prisons, however, sports continues to be a major presence. The reason, advocates say, is because it works. But it is a complex issue.

Convicts say their lives have changed because of the chance to play sports, but some victims of violent crimes are furious that inmates are given the opportunity.

Some prison officers grudgingly acknowledge the need for sports but are dubious about its long-term impact.

Recreation supervisors believe passionately in their work and the influence for good their programs can have though many of the beneficiaries are perpetrators of heinous crimes.

Even corrections professionals who disapprove of inmates playing games do not want to run their prisons without sports.

For them and many outside experts, the consequences are clear: No sports in prison means more violence.

"It would be much more dangerous, and I use that word deliberately," said Charles Fasano, who monitors Chicago's Cook County Jail and has visited about 100 prisons and jails nationwide as part of a nonprofit watchdog organization. Deny inmates sports, Fasano said, and "all that energy and frustration is going to be taken out on each other and it's going to involve the staff. It's going to be a nightmare."

'The best tension burner'

Though no comprehensive studies have been done, recreation supervisors and corrections experts say as many as half of the nation's 1.4-million prison inmates play sports. More than one-third of New York State's 65,110 inmates participated in organized competitive athletics last year, according to the state Department of Corrections. Many more played pickup ball, lifted weights or ran on their own.

Prison sports programs are run on a comparative shoestring; New York spends about $10 per inmate per year on equipment and supplies.

Advocates of prison sports say it raises morale and eases aggression. It builds self-esteem and physical fitness, relieves boredom and occupies idle time. Organized team sports can help inmates learn about teamwork, cooperation, fairness, how to obey rules and how to deal with disappointment.