Pickleball at Maine State Prison: The Sequel.

On September 8, I went back to Maine State Prison in Warren to play pickleball.

Before my first visit in May, I was a bit nervous about voluntarily walking into a prison. By September, I was looking forward to seeing the players again, and fanning the flames of some rivalries that were born on the first session.

This time, I joined six other volunteers, including John Coray, president of Midcoast Maine Pickleball and the person who started these visits. About 15 residents came out to play - a lot of familiar faces with some newcomers sprinkled in.

I came home with a new nickname, some concerns about my win ratio for future visits, and a stronger feeling that SALT should help this program keep growing.

If you missed our first trip in May, start with Pickleball Behind Steel Doors.

Something worth building on

The gym was split in half. On one side, volunteers helped newer players learn the game. On the other, returning players ran open play for a good part of the session.

That setup says a lot about how far things have come. There’s room for someone picking up a paddle for the first time, and there’s room for someone who already knows exactly where they’d like to put their next shot.

Correctional Officer Forrest Burns, the prison’s recreation supervisor, joined in too. He spoke with News Center Maine about the program back in March.

The residents, volunteers, and staff making these sessions possible have built something they should be proud of. New players are learning, returning players are improving, and the program has developed enough that it makes sense to start asking what comes next.

Maine State Prison Pickleball Group, 9/8/2026.

But the way people play is only part of what makes this group worth talking about. The way they welcome people deserves just as much attention.

The open play I didn’t expect

Before my first visit to MSP, I assumed I’d need to keep my guard up. I was nervous about who I’d meet and how I’d be received. “Maximum-security prison” had done a pretty thorough job of setting the scene in my head before I ever walked into the gym.

Those were my assumptions. I hadn’t met anyone yet.

Then I got there, and people welcomed me. They were kind, excited to play, and eager to include someone new. It was the most welcoming open play I’d been to.

If you’ve spent much time at public courts, you know that “open play” can come with a surprising number of unspoken qualifications.

What’s your DUPR? Who do you usually play with? Is that the paddle you typically play with?

I love this sport. I could do without the occasional job interview required to participate.

I’ve come across people guarding courts and sessions like they’re protecting a family inheritance. Newcomers get sized up before they get a game. Sometimes the paddle inspection starts before the introductions.

At MSP, I felt invited to play before I ever felt evaluated as a player.

That stuck with me after the first visit. Coming back only reinforced it. People wanted to play, and they wanted you to play too. There was room to learn, compete, joke around, and develop as a player.

I’d arrived worried about the people I was going to meet. I left wishing more of my usual pickleball crowd could experience what I encountered.

The regulars got good

Being welcoming does not mean they’re going to let me win.

I recognized some of the players from May. I also noticed that their games had come along considerably.

Residents who have earned the privilege can play during their regular recreation time - often four or five times a week, sometimes more. That adds up.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are trying to squeeze a game in between work, weather, and whatever we promised we’d address on the 'honey-do-list'.

I’ve done the math, and it isn't pretty. One thing's for certain: moving forward, volunteers in this group are going to have to work for every single W. No more easy wins.

The improvement was fun to see, even when I was on the receiving end of it. These players are putting in the time, and it shows. Coming back gave me a chance to see that progress firsthand, which is a pretty good argument for continuing to show up.

John Ruppert & John Coray running footwork drills at the Maine State Prison pickleball group

Also - I go by J-Money now

One of the newer players goes by C-Money. He was there in an air-cast boot because he had just broken his toe earlier that week, but that didn't diminish his enthusiasm to participate one bit.

No caption necessary.

I got along with C-Money, he was excited to be playing and that was infectious. C-Money introduced me to another participant, his friend, D-Money.

I pointed out that “John” sounded a little underwhelming in their company. D-Money handled the situation immediately:

“Nah, your name ain’t John, it’s J-Money, twin.”

He said I have 'motion', and I liked that, even if I didn't fully understand what it meant.

No application. No probationary period. Just an immediate promotion.

I’d spent time before that first visit wondering whether I’d fit in. Now I had a nickname. Apparently, the membership process here was considerably friendlier than I had originally anticipated.

That exchange was one of my favorite moments of the visit. Between the drills and the games, there’s time to talk, joke around, and get to know the people across the net. Apparently, there’s also time to rebrand a visiting volunteer.

What could come next

We only brought three paddles this time. Our equipment contribution is growing at roughly the speed of my footwork. And, similar to my footwork, I'd like to see some improvement.

Next time, I want to bring as many paddles as CO Burns will allow.

I also want SALT to help support what comes next for the program, beyond the paddles we bring through the door.

In conversations since the visit, Coray has suggested that one useful contribution could be helping sponsor an organized competition. With instruction and open play already happening side by side, something like a scramble tournament or organized ladder play could give returning players another way to put their progress to work.

That’s an idea to explore with Coray and prison staff. There’s no event to announce yet, and the format would need to fit the facility, the players, and the people running the program.

Longer term, there are other possibilities worth discussing: more frequent volunteer visits, a similar program at another facility, or perhaps competition between facilities, if feasible and approved.

And if we’re allowing ourselves to think bigger, I’d love to explore what happens beyond the prison gym.

For someone returning home, could pickleball offer a familiar routine, people to play with, and a community willing to welcome them? Could relationships that begin through a program like this become one small part of the support that helps someone build a life outside and stay out of prison?

I don’t know what that would take. I’d like to learn.

Then there are bigger questions about rehabilitation and what opportunities people have to demonstrate that they’ve changed. Maine eliminated parole for people sentenced under its modern criminal code in 1976, leaving it available only under the older sentencing laws. That makes the conversation about second chances here especially consequential.

I’m two volunteer visits into this. My qualifications currently include bringing some paddles and answering to J-Money. I have a lot of listening to do before I can speak usefully about parole policy or reducing recidivism.

But these visits have made me want to listen - and to learn whether there’s a useful role for SALT in supporting reentry efforts or advocacy for a parole option in Maine.

If this program can change the assumptions I brought into that gym, perhaps it can help more people approach those conversations with a little more understanding of the people involved.

In the biggest version I can imagine, there are more opportunities to play inside, welcoming courts and connections for people returning home, and more people on the outside willing to take an informed interest in rehabilitation and second chances. That would take partnerships with people who know far more about this work than I do. It’s a possibility worth exploring.

And the program already matters to the people playing today, wherever their sentences lead.

As we explore what comes next, I keep coming back to what made me want to return in the first place: how welcome I felt.

Give the regulars something to compete for. Keep making room for someone holding a paddle for the first time. And if someone from this group eventually shows up at an open play on the outside, I’d like us to offer them the same welcome they offered me.

Thank you to John Coray and the Midcoast Maine Pickleball volunteers for bringing us along, to CO Forrest Burns for welcoming us back, and to the residents for the games, the conversation, and my new professional identity.

I’m looking forward to coming back.

FAQ

Does Maine State Prison have a pickleball program?

Yes. Residents who have earned the privilege can play pickleball during regular recreation time. Volunteers from Midcoast Maine Pickleball also visit to provide instruction and join games.

Where is Maine State Prison?

Maine State Prison is in Warren, Maine.

Who organizes the volunteer visits?

John Coray, CO Forrest Burns, and the decision-makers at the Maine Department of Corrections in coordination with prison staff, Midcoast Maine Pickleball, and local volunteers.

How is SALT involved?

I’ve joined the volunteer visits twice, in May and September 2026, and brought paddles both times. SALT is exploring additional ways to support the program, including the possibility of helping sponsor an organized competition. No event or expansion plans have been finalized.

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