Prison Rodeos
By Amber
@AmbiePam (88834)
United States
July 10, 2024 9:26am CST
I remember my dad telling me about the time he went to a maximum security prison rodeo in McAlester, Oklahoma. One of his friends said he was going to take him to an event he’s never been to, and boy he did. They had events you have seen in regular rodeos like where you put 4 people at a table, then let a bull in the ring. Whoever moved last got a hundred dollars. Likewise, they’d tape a hundred dollars in the head of a bucking bronco, and then prisoners were allowed to go get it. It was one of the biggest prison rodeos, and people came from all over the place. Of course, people protested, saying it was inhumane to the men, but it boosted morale at the prison, and the prisoners were on their best behavior to be able to participate. It even boosted the economy, and paid for itself. They shut it down because the arena needed repairs in the millions, and no one was going to throw money into a prison to keep a rodeo going considering all the other upgrades prisons need. There have been calls to bring it back, but I can’t see that happening if they are depending on government funds. Do you remember how big it was, @GardenGerty ?
17 people like this
15 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (49864)
• United States
10 Jul
I can’t remember the movie, but they had a prison rodeo in it.
4 people like this
@AmbiePam (88834)
• United States
10 Jul
@Tampa_girl7 Oh, okay! Thanks for letting me know which one.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (49864)
• United States
10 Jul
@AmbiePam It was “Stir Crazy” with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryer.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (176745)
• United States
10 Jul
That sounds really dangerous. It is funny I was just thinking about a rodeo this morning. We went to one a few years ago. It was interesting. I had never been. It might be going on now..For some reason they have it this time of the year when it is sweltering. Not too bad at night though usually.
4 people like this
@snowy22315 (176745)
• United States
10 Jul
@AmbiePam I wonder how many people have been injured at those things? It sounds like a recipe for disaster.
3 people like this
@AmbiePam (88834)
• United States
10 Jul
@snowy22315 They have to sign a waiver, of course, so they at least they can’t sue.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
10 Jul
It was pretty popular, I believe.Lots of people want to do away with zoos and rodeos as being inhumane to animals. I would think it would have to have been minimum security inmates participating. Yes, to me it sounds exploitative. Last one was held in 2009 and the department of corrections has just contributed $1 million towards rebuilding the arena and are seeking another $8.3 from the legislature, seeking to have prison rodeo again starting in 2026.
"The Department of Corrections said the last prison rodeo was held in 2009, and it ended for a few reasons, like the quality of the arena and the need to put funding elsewhere. But now they have been fueling the fire to bring back the rodeo, saying there are benefits for inmates. " This is from an online article on the KOCO TV website.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
13 Jul
@AmbiePam They probably will in the future. I guess the maximum security prisoners are probably closely screened for escape or riot potential maybe.
1 person likes this
@kareng (59055)
• United States
11 Jul
The have a big one in Louisiana at the Angola Rodeo. I grew up in Louisiana and lived there most of my adult life, but never went to the rodeo. It wasn't that far from where we lived, just about 1.5 hours if that much. It just wasn't appealing when your husband is in law enforcement. He never wanted our girls to be in that environment growing up.
2 people like this
@xstitcher (31602)
• Petaluma, California
10 Jul
Amber wrote: but it boosted morale at the prison, and the prisoners were on their best behavior to be able to participate. It even boosted the economy, and paid for itself.
Sounds like a good thing to me. Bummer they had to shut it down.
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
10 Jul
@AmbiePam Oh wow! I have never heard about this before! 
I don't know if you've ever seen the Jackass series but there were quite a handful of times where they were chased by bulls and even that was enough to freak me out! 
But also fun to watch! 
I don't know if you've ever seen the Jackass series but there were quite a handful of times where they were chased by bulls and even that was enough to freak me out! But also fun to watch! 2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (77609)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Jul
Never heard of prison rodeos before,
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41067)
• United States
11 Jul
That's really interesting. I doubt it will happen again, but who knows.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (120850)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul
That actually sounds like a fun time! I think they should bring it back.
For decades, the municipality I worked for used prisoners to help maintain our parks. It was prisoners who were near the end of their sentence and were the best behaved. They got paid a small amount of wages and learned a trade. Well, someone protested that it amounted to slave labor and caused an uproar. The city took away the program, and then had to raise taxes to hire actual park maintenance workers .
And then the prisoners all spoke up and said no one ever asked them what they thought about it, and they were pissed that the city took away the program.
It was a case of wokeness going too far.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (170715)
• United States
11 Jul
I've never heard of a prison rodeo. Thanks for the info. Have a good day.
2 people like this
@Hanbinandaeyo (3303)
•
11 Jul
It's my first time reading and hearing such. I know rodeo, but prison rodeo? it's another level and somewhat like dangerous.. I hope no one suffers injuries afterward
2 people like this
