Never would have thought of this but what the hell, if it learns them something and keeps them out of trouble, it's gotta be good.
CHICAGO — Call it the Sheriff’s Gambit.
A sheriff in Illinois is turning to kings, queens and rooks to help teach inmates at his jail not to behave like pawns.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart launched a chess program at the county jail in Chicago. The law enforcement officer, known for making unusual moves in the name of justice, hopes inmates can take what they learn from a game that rewards patience and problem-solving and apply it to their own lives.
“We see it day-in and day-out that people want instant gratification and that often individuals do not think before they act,” Dart said Monday. “Thoughtless actions will hurt you while playing chess and hurt you more on the street.”...
...With the jail chess program, the sheriff got help from Mikhail Korenman. The longtime teacher of the game, whose chess club includes one of the sheriff’s children, came up with the idea.
“I thought it would be good for any people,” said Korenman, a member of the United States Chess Federation Council.
He broached the subject with Dart earlier this year. And on Monday, he accompanied the sheriff to the jail to watch some inmates play.
“It helps kids and it should help the people in the prisons get back to a normal life, make good decisions,” Korenman said, adding that he knows of no other similar jail program in the U.S.
He sees chess as being about making decisions with an eye toward how they will affect the ultimate outcome of the game. “(Players) have to make decisions and analyze their decisions,” Korenman said...
...Dart’s office said 100 inmates are participating now. Ultimately, about 150 are to take part.
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