Last October 31, we had the pleasure of reporting a story of improbable hope. Now, there is more good news coming from the southern coast of England, home to the Brighton Table Tennis Club. For years, club members have been volunteering to teach table tennis in area prisons. The response has been nothing short of remarkable. While the joy that the inmates find in their weekly sessions is intangible, there are many quantifiable metrics of the program's success. For example, there has been an 83% decline in violence among those prisoners enrolled in the table tennis program. Behavior is closely monitored, and any infractions result in loss of playing privileges. Axel James is a 30-year-old inmate at HMP High Down who attends the weekly table tennis sessions. He has seen a change in people over the three years he has been there. “Everyone who’s here now is not getting into any trouble, and that’s because there’s an incentive,” says James. “You get a good rapport with the officers. When they know that you are well behaved, you get more gym sessions and it can lead to other sports as well.” There are yet more numerical markers to behold. This time last year, the Brighton Table Tennis Club had established training programs in two area prisons. Now they have launched a third, and still hope to expand their reach. Also, the volunteers do more than teach the inmates how to play. They also teach them how to teach. To date, 24 prisoners have earned Level 1 coaching certifications. While such data provide a thumbnail sketch of the overwhelmingly positive effect of the program, the clearest images come from the words of those directly touched. “I would definitely say having a sport like table tennis, having people come in, it opens doors for a lot of people," says Alex Jones. "How are we supposed to be better people if we’re not given that opportunity?”

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