The 2023 SCI Phoenix Jailhouse Jeopardy Tournament is the talk of SCI- Phoenix amongst both staff and the incarcerated population. In March, Deputy Superintendent of Centralized Services, Mandy Sipple created this new form of engagement as an alternative activity to sports. It began with 32 three-man teams from the east and west sides of the prison. Each week, teams compete against teams from their side of the institution.
Deputy Sipple created Jeopardy game boards that include categories such as science, math, animals, movies, and pop culture in addition to questions about DOC policy, processes, and history. Inmates serve as hosts, scorekeepers, judges, and videographers for the matches. The matches are televised weekly on the inmate cable network.
At the end of the tournament, there will be big championship game, which will be an east versus west side match. Members of the winning team will each earn a monetary prize. The SCI Phoenix Jailhouse Jeopardy Tournament has engaged far more than only those playing the matches — it is providing a new topic of conversation between staff and inmates.