Antonio Jones keeps a deck of Magic: The Gathering cards in the pocket of his prison uniform.
He fans the deck out to show cards with drawings of elven queens, artifacts and fantastical creatures. As he explains how the cards deal damage to other players and how the rules are as complicated as a law book, the corrections officer in the room begins to chuckle.
“Yes, I am doing this, sir. I am doing it. It’s an awesome game,” Jones says. “I am not ashamed of my nerddom or the fact that I love this game.”
Jones is one of a dozen incarcerated men sitting in a classroom in Danville Correctional Center. They are serving out long sentences for charges like sexual assault, murder or being an accomplice to murder. Jones was a teenager at the time of his actions.
They have all worked hard to become better versions of themselves, leading peer group classes and working towards bachelors and master’s degrees as much as possible.
And all but two of them play Magic: The Gathering.
“While they’re laughing and giggling and snickering, all of them play Magic,” Jones says of the group.
The game is a recent hobby the group has picked up in their free time — because it used to be banned at the prison.
How a once-banned game is back
In 2001, Danville Correctional Center banned the family and friends of those incarcerated from sending them Magic: The Gathering cards.
“At the time, the cards were identified as a potential security risk because of their perceived value and their ability to be used in trading,” Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson Naomi Puzzello said in an emailed statement.
But in 2021, the prison began hosting Magic: The Gathering tournaments, using old cards it had from before the ban.
Those in custody began asking to buy new cards. Last year, the prison decided staff could approve card purchases directly from a retailer.
“To date, there have been no negative incidents at Danville CC involving Magic cards. Without access to protective sleeves or storage, cards cannot be maintained in mint condition, which limits their resale or trade value,” Puzzello said.
Puzzello said the game has become a constructive mental outlet for those in custody at Danville, because it builds critical thinking, patience and positive social interactions.
The value of possessions like Magic cards in prison
Prisons too often take things away from the incarcerated, according to Dr. Terry A. Kupers, a psychiatrist and a professor at the Wright Institute in California.
“Having possessions is a very important part of feeling like a human being,” Kupers said.
“We’re proud of the clothes we wear, we read books, we communicate with loved ones outside of correctional facilities, and all of these things support our mental health as human beings.”
Kupers said playing Magic: The Gathering sounds like a healthy, creative outlet for the men in Danville.
People with past trauma, suicidal inclination and other mental health diagnoses are overrepresented among those in prison. Meanwhile, the health care that can help in correctional facilities is underfunded.
According to Kupers, the emphasis on control in most prisons does not help incarcerated people.
“There are rules upon rules and if a prisoner breaks the rule, they’re punished, and the punishment often involves taking away the very things that they need to reform themselves, to rehabilitate and to be successful after they are released in the community,” Kupers said.
Beyond toothpaste and hygienic items, what specific items are allowed is not as important as the principle of fostering choice.
“It’s the having access, having some freedom to choose and purchase things they need for their everyday life. That’s what’s part of normal life in the community, and that’s where we want to help prisoners build their choices and their strength,” Kupers said.
Trading cards teach the prisoners lessons
Robert Schultz is one of the peer educators who teaches conflict resolution at Danville. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University while in prison and is working on his master’s degree.
He uses Magic: The Gathering as an extension of the classes he teaches.
He remembers one instance when a young man started hovering around the cards on a table. The group invited him to play, but when the game started to heat up, the younger player became rude.
“We had a conversation with him [and said], ‘If you’re going to hang out with us, this is the kind of behavior that we expect,” Schultz said.
Schultz saw the younger player learn from the conversation and start thinking about how to set boundaries in other interactions.
The player came to the card group one day and said his peers were making fun of him for playing Magic: The Gathering.
“I had to explain to him, ‘You’re sitting down here with two people who have bachelors degrees. I’m a master’s degree student. All are peer educators, all life coaches. What are they doing with their lives? Of course they’re going to make fun of you,’” Schultz said.
Schultz said even having that conversation showed the younger player felt comfortable being vulnerable with him — and that was its own win.
“If he could do it with us, imagine what he’s going to do when he gets home with his family and people he trusts on a deeper level,” Schultz said.
For Antonio Jones, Magic is a source of joy in a tough environment. He is always aware that he cannot have a bad day in prison, both as a mentor and as he works to show how he has grown since his conviction.
“I can’t be overwhelmed, and I can’t have moments of humanity where I may do something regrettable, and so I try to maintain a level of awareness to myself to be able to manage the stressors that I face on a daily basis.”
So he manages the stress with music and journaling — as well as a healthy dose of Magic: The Gathering.
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