In the Davis County Jail, the only sport we had to play was handball. This version of handball, prevalent in correctional facilities across the United States, is played with a racquetball, not the traditional handball which requires gloves. There was one inmate whose skill-level was head and shoulders above the rest of us, and he wasn’t the best athlete. He was 40 years old and had been incarcerated for almost half of his life. His dominance was the result of one thing: practice.

In jail I would sometimes watch inmates play chess. There was one inmate who never did lose a game while he was there. We called him Florida, because he spent close to 10 years in prison down there. I remember thinking he was some kind of genius. I didn’t put two and two together until I came here and met prisoners who can barely read, but are phenomenal chess players.

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Some prisoners crochet, some draw, and some play cards or other games in their spare time, and many become great at what they do. I’ve seen some amazing ping-pong, horseshoe, and card players. In jail, you could tell which prisoners had been to prison if you sat them down on the pinochle table. The level of competition in many prison games is incredible, but makes sense when you think about the years and years of practice. When it comes to basketball there is a plethora of very good shooters, but few of the guys know how to play team ball. I maintain my argument that “prison-ball” and basketball are two different things because of the physicality, and because many prisoners don’t know the rules.

With the surplus of time afforded prisoners, this environment serves as a perfect place to learn and hone a skill. Regrettably, many of these activities will not benefit them in the outside world. I’m not saying prisoners shouldn’t do things to pass time, but when I look at the countless hours poured into this and that, I see a squandered resource.

The weather is changing outside, and I see more and more bored prisoners inside. Prison is a near ideal environment for getting a college education; food and lodging are provided and for the most part it’s a low stress environment with few distractions. Unfortunately, college is not an option for most prisoners. Correspondence courses are available from some institutions for those who can afford it, but they are few.

Inmates here in Gunnison, along with the education department, have created a program called UPrep. They offer non-accredited college equivalent courses. We have capable prisoners who share their expertise; they create curriculum and teach courses on a volunteer basis. Student participation is also voluntary. Prisoners are helping other prisoners gain an education that might help their future. I can’t think of a better way for prisoners to spend their time.

UPrep recently had to drop dozens of students and close enrollment due to security rules. UPrep operates nights and weekends and currently there is only one officer working during the busiest hours. The mission of the Department of Corrections is to return offenders out into society as law-abiding citizens. I have heard time and time again education is the best tool we have to fight recidivism, with prisoners who earn college degrees being the least likely to come back to prison. In my opinion UPrep does a good a job or better than any other programs in the prison. I want to believe if the right people were aware then another officer would gratefully be provided.

I’d like to see the state provide opportunities for prisoners to earn college degrees because I’m convinced it would prevent crime and save money on future incarcerations. I can understand why some people do not want the state to pay for convicts’ college, as they feel it’s unfair. I’m suggesting access to student loans and a focus on education. I know I was more than happy to sign promissory notes for Snow College’s Building Trades and Culinary Arts program as I believed schooling would be a better use of my time than anything else in here. Many prisoners end up with some remarkable proficiencies as a result of the unique circumstances afforded by incarceration. It could only benefit society if some of that time and effort was spent on education rather than handball or pinochle.

Brian Wood, formerly of Layton, is an inmate at the Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison. He pleaded guilty to nine felony charges for offenses from 2011 to 2014, including counts of burglary, drug possession and prescription fraud. He could spend up to 25 years in prison, depending on parole hearings.