But, Mr. Sheriff, don't you know that by doing this you will increasing the danger for your own staff?
Research shows that physical activity is a great way to alleviate stress and in jail, it also is a nice break from the monotony of incarceration.
Assaults on staff will probably go up as a result of this move.
Congrats!
Bottom line: This is pure politics. The sheriff did not like how it looked when people drive by and see inmates playing basketball.
By the way, there is an online game called "Prison Basketball." So they can still play if they have access to the Internet.
http://www.bunnygames.com/play-game/Prison-Basketball.html
The sheriff would likely rather see a few inmates talk trash and maybe some shoves after a heated yard basketball game than bear the brunt of their tension. Recreational privileges are seemingly the only positive experience most inmates have in jail; people do not drive by prisons and wish they were in there playing instead of heading to work. This is also a Constitutional issue: the basketball equipment (which is funded by taxpayers) removed from the jail were donated to Christian churches (tax-exempt) in the area
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