In 1911, Wyoming State Penitentiary got quite a bit of notice, not for scandal or abuse, but for its baseball team. New warden Felix Alston took note of a number of talented baseball players among the inmates and decided to form a team to boost morale. The Wyoming State Penitentiary All Stars were a dozen players who were serving time, and at least two were slated for execution. Convicted murderer George Saban was selected as coach, but did not play because of prior finger amputations. Another convicted murderer, George Seng, was the star player.
While no deals with the players were recorded, Saban encouraged the team by telling them their performances would affect their sentences, which meant a stay of execution for Seng. The All Stars didn't last long, due to public outcry when the team made the papers, but they won every game they played. Read the story of the prison team with a perfect record at Cracked.
You might also be interested in Saban's crime and what happened to him after his stint as coach.
