A wise man once said that sport is the one of the most powerful weapons which you can use to change the world. Well, some people actually implement that to wield that thought into reality. Here is one such story:

California’s San Quentin Prison is often described as one of the nation’s most notorious maximum security prisons. It has housed a number of current and former high-profile inmates including the likes of Charles Manson and Scott Peterson.

San Quentin prison sits on a secluded bay just north of San Francisco and inside the walls hosts the largest death row population in the United States. But for it’s general population, San Quentin has been a pioneer at using sports programs to aid in rehabilitation.

Although the facility has developed a reputation as one of the roughest prisons in America it is pioneering sporting programs for low-risk inmates, including tennis and baseball.

Perhaps its most notable feature is the tennis program, with a full tennis court sitting right in the middle of a notorious prison yard.

The aim of the tennis program is to help aid the rehabilitation process for prisoners while also breaking down divides that exist within the traditional environment.

It is certainly gratifying to know that a sport like tennis is being used to improve the livelihoods of inmates. A recreational activity such as this could help improve social skills among the inmates and help integrate them better into society. There are many ways to rehabilitate inmates like community service, counselling and other such activities. Introducing sport is just another way for them to better themselves as individuals.