Alternative justice basketball program returns to Queens prison — Queens Daily Eagle

By Jacob Kaye

For the second year in a row, a field trip was held to the Queensboro Correctional Facility in Long Island City as part of a unique initiative designed to keep youth out of the criminal justice system and assist in the rehabilitation of those already in it.

Flames, a pro bono program operating in New York State prisons, recently visited the Long Island City Correctional Facility – one of only two Department of Corrections and Community Supervision facilities within the five boroughs.

In the show, a group of teenagers play basketball against a group of incarcerated New Yorkers.

Here's how it works: A group of youth who volunteer for the program travel to correctional facilities across the state to play basketball against a group of incarcerated men. The inmates serve as referees and table staff. After the game, the two teams meet for a decision-making conversation.

The trip to Queensboro Correctional Facility was the Flames teens' last outing of the year. The game also marked the program's second visit to Queens – last year was the first.

The game at the Queensboro Correctional Facility was special for another reason: For the first time in the program's 50-year history, the group of teenagers, who are often inferior to their adult opponents, won in a DOCCS facility.

But the end result at Flames games is often secondary to the impact the games are intended to have on the youth and incarcerated New Yorkers who participate.

Flames was first founded in 1974 by Gerard Papa, a graduate of Columbia Law School, who continues to lead the program today.

By Papa's count, over 20,000 New York City children between the ages of 8 and 20 have participated in the program over the years.

Their first game at a DOCCS facility came over 30 years ago, when the Flames faced a team made up of inmates serving their sentences at the Eastern New York Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in Ulster County.

The program ran for several years in New York State prisons before the partnership with DOCCS ended. It was relaunched in 2019 and will continue to operate successfully in 2024.

“I am pleased with our positive partnership with the Flames basketball team,” said DOCCS Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III.

“The value of playing games in our facilities is underscored by the positive feedback we have received from both staff and the incarcerated population,” he added. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Flames in the future.”

The program also received support from the state's court system.

“I am immensely proud of our Unified Court System's continued support of the Flames' long-standing alternative justice mission,” said Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas. “The judiciary's interest in this work reflects more than just an appreciation for good basketball, but also the promise that people on all sides of the criminal justice landscape can work together to achieve a deeper understanding.”

“On and off the field, people with diverse experiences – young and middle-aged, incarcerated and free – can see and hear each other in ways that illuminate their perspectives on our shared humanity and strengthen their sense of community,” Zayas added. “These sporting events and the meaningful conversations that follow provide an empowering opportunity for everyone involved – the players, our referees, law enforcement officers and others – to learn and grow and to recognize the commonalities that serve to strengthen our justice system and our civic bonds.”

The program fits into the court system's broader efforts to promote programs consistent with its work in justice initiatives.

“As part of its mission, the Flames program helps people from all walks of life make the kind of connections that underscore the core values ​​of our unified court system – achieving equal justice under the law, promoting civic engagement and prioritizing the common good of community cohesion,” said Edwina Richardson, vice chair of the Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives.

Richardson attended the first Flames game in Queensboro in 2023 and called the visit a “true privilege and an experience that led to me being the keynote speaker for the institution's Women's History Month last March.”

“I am proud to say that this program, with its lasting legacy, continues to provide inspiration for what we can achieve when we choose to move together in the same direction,” the judge added.

This year, Donna-Marie E. Golia, former Queens Supreme Court criminal judge and administrative judge, was present.

Golia said that unlike other sporting events, she cheered for both teams.

“This was no ordinary basketball game,” said Golia. “There was a strong sense of connection between all of us. The basketball game is just the beginning – the opportunity for open dialogue will follow.”

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to take part and I am really looking forward to next year's game, where I hope to bring many of my colleagues with me,” she added.