IDAHO PICKLEBALL IN PRISON PROGRAM
Program History and Quick Overview
Program Initiation
Mark Fisher and Kathy Getto, two local pickleball players, formed Idaho Pickleball in Prison (ID-PIP) in early 2025 and began working with the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) to launch pickleball into many of their facilities.
Mark is being mentored by Pickleball Hall of Fame nominee Roger BelAir--the founder of Pickleball for Incarcerated Communities League.
Initially our focus was to distribute equipment to those facilities that wanted to offer pickleball to their residents.
Mark and Kathy worked through the lengthy process to become approved volunteers so that they could then offer in-person pickleball mentoring opportunities to local facilities.
Equipment Donation Drives
With the help of local indoor pickleball facilities, we collected equipment donations. We also received very generous donations from Boise Area Pickleball Association and Boise Pickleball Club.
The generosity of many pickleball players in the Treasure Valley has made a truly meaningful impact! Local picklers and clubs have donated their gently used equipment to ID-PIP: 15 nets, 100+ paddles, and 400+ pickleballs! Most of this equipment has been delivered to nine IDOC facilities across the state, and the rest will be in use at other facilities soon.
Launching Pickleball Mentoring into Facilities
Mark and Kathy launched in-person pickleball instruction at three Community Reentry Centers over the spring and summer months. After getting those programs established, they recruited nine volunteers to help with the weekly play at those facilities.
Mark then launched a program at a minimum security facility in late summer.
2025 ID-PIP Recap
ID-PIP program had over 200 volunteer hours throughout 2025.
We grew from two volunteers to nine.
Equipment donations continued throughout the year, so we now have more equipment for more facilities.
PLANS FOR 2026
ID-PIP sent out an email to many local pickleball players to thank them for their generosity to the program.
From that email we gained ten new volunteers and gathered more equipment donations!
Our plans for 2026 include the following:
Continuing play at all three CRCs where we are established.
Continuing play at our current minimum security facility and launching at more minimum security facilities in both the Treasure Valley and across the state.
Holding special events like structured round robins at established facilities.
Holding clinics to launch pickleball at other facilities with monthly follow-up.
Holding competitions between facilities.
Getting staff to play in special events with and against residents.
UPDATE AS OF 04/19/2026
We are now working with four new facilities and should launch pickleball in them by the end of June!
Two are in the Treasure Valley which our core group of 20 volunteers will mentor.
Two are outside of our area, one in northern Idaho and the other in eastern Idaho. We will provide equipment and a two day clinic at those facilities as we mentor players in that area to continue pickleball sessions at those facilites.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRAM, BECOME A VOLUNTEER, OR DONATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT US VIA EMAIL.
Happy Pickling!!!!