During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, incarcerated people celebrated with tournaments in dominoes, pinochle, chess and three-on-three basketball for granola-bar prizes.
“It’s something to do that’s outside the routine,” said Jairo Pedroza, who came in second in the pinochle competition. “It’s having a good time doing something you like to do.”
All first-place winners received 15 granola bars and second-place winners received 10 each.
In a close pinochle card game, Gene Atkins and his partner, E. “Preacher” Robinson, took first place over Pedroza and Rosales.
“Pinochle is the only game I play,” Atkins said. “It releases a lot of stress and it feels great to win.”
Rosales took second place along with Pedroza.
In the dominoes competition, James Smith and Ben Jackson beat out James Benson and D. Stewart for first place.
Benson and Stewart took second.
In chess, Mr. Sekona checkmated Anthony Coleman to take first place, leaving Coleman in second.
Head Warriors Coach Rafael Cuevas suited as a player for the three-on-three basketball tournament. He played with Warriors Tyrrell Price Sr. and Torrion Hart, plus Kahlil Dallas. They battled through three rounds to reach the finals, where they won first place, 26-19.
Second place went to Joshua Burton, Jamal “Dr. Jay” Green and Jessy Blue.
“This tournament was a stress-releaser,” Blue said. “It helped me keep from focusing on missing my family and focus on appreciating the holidays and taking a moment to reflect on the good things we did in the past.”
