Sports Co-ordinator Testimony- John Moroney Windsor Jails

We also have an outside Christian Organization — SLAM - attend JMI or JM2 on a weekly basis. These people are simply great. They play Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball and Touch Football. Inmates train constantly for these games. This keeps them busy, tied and communicating as a team.

It also teaches them manners, temper control etc. We do not tolerate any type of unsportsmanlike behaviour and the Inmates know this, even so it is very rare that we will have to speak to anyone as they do the regulation of this themselves, It is not uncommon to hear one inmate say to another — “don’t swear in front of the church people”. It appears that they are learning respect for others.

It is after the game at the BBQ that the SLAM players have the opportunity to influence. During the game they display their sportsman like qualities, after the game they have the opportunity to stand around talking and it Is at this time that the inmates can glimpse the goodness in these people, their attitude to life.

SLAM have on occasions spoken to inmates who have problems and seem to be able to get them back on the straight and narrow.’ The only opportunity they have to do this is at the BBQ. Not long back we had an inmate who became very difficult, stopped working, refused to take his medication and became at times aggressive. I asked him if he would attend the SLAM basketball match to pick a special award for the player from both teams who was not the best, but who tried his best, this he did. I asked a SLAM player if they would talk to him at the BBQ as he seemed to be experiencing problems (without saying what was going on with him).

This inmate is now back working, talking his medication and no problem, he has started to attend church and still attends all the SLAM games, and picks the Special Award. Overall — problem solved.
 

Narelle Crowther
Activities officer
28th March 2006