Prisons Minister holds ‘board meeting’ about chess in jails

 Prisons Minister Lord Timpson faced an ex-prisoner across a chess board at an event in Parliament to promote the game in jails.

The minister attended the session organised by the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group to introduce Parliamentarians to the benefits of chess in prisons.

Amongst those making the case was Carl Portman, MBE, who not only acts as the Chess Correspondent of Inside Time, but also runs sessions within prisons under the banner of the English Chess Federation to encourage those inside to play the game. 

The Federation was represented on the evening. Also present were representatives of 5asideCHESS, including the organisation’s founders, Ross Smith and Diane Waldron, and its ambassador David Breakspear – the former prisoner who took on Lord Timpson in a game. This mini version of the sport is played with fewer pieces, making matches shorter. 

Full scale chess and the 5asideCHESS version are popular in many UK jails, and matches are often played between inmates and officers. Campaigners say it is a way of bringing people together, and providing a purposeful activity that is both fun and mind-stretching. 

Carl told Inside Time that when he plays outside prison, he often finds opponents make a move on the board, then afterwards try to change it, which is against the rules. He said that those in prison are more honest when they are participating. It gives, he said, a very positive experience to all who take part.

Amongst the MPs who attended were Liz Saville-Roberts (Plaid Cymru), Maria Eagle (Labour), Peter Fortune (Conservative), Warinder Singh Juss (Labour), Apsana Begum (Labour), Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour), Mary Kelly Foy (Labour), Catherine West (Labour), and Bambos Charalambous (Labour). All spent time with the chess association representatives and tried to solve the on-board puzzles that they set.

A conversation between Lord Timpson and Mr Breakspear during the course of their chess game showed that they were in agreement over the benefits that can be derived from allowing and encouraging people inside to play. 5asideCHESS are clear that it is not the actual game that matters, it is the social contact that competition brings about. Their slogan is “It is more than just a game”.

Diane told Inside Time that in one prison she visited to talk to the senior managers, the head of security asked her how she would measure the benefits of having inmates playing 5asideCHESS and the reduction in reoffending that would follow. She replied that the prison would need to monitor that, as her organisation would have no access to those records. However, she highlighted the positive outcomes of getting prisoners to take part in a fun and competitive activity that encouraged them to think through tactics. She said the benefits would be seen on the wings, from the social interactions which take people away from self-destructive actions.