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Gates Brown- An Inmate Success Story

 

Gates Brown was born in Crestline, Ohio in 1939. A star athlete for Crestline High School, Gates unfortunately found himself with “the wrong crowd”, and he spent some of his youth at the Boys Industrial School in Lancaster, Ohio. 

Brown would later find himself at the young age of 18, sentenced to 2 years at the Ohio State Reformatory for breaking & entering.  While imprisoned at the Reformatory, Brown played on the prison’s baseball team and his talent caught the attention of inmates and guards alike. It has been said that the other inmates didn’t like playing with Brown; because no matter what they threw his way he would hit the ball over the 25FT prison wall, and the guards couldn’t be bothered to go retrieve it. 

The coach of the OSR’s baseball team would then go on to contact major league baseball scouts to come watch Brown, and as a result, he would be paroled early to go play for the Detroit Tigers. 

Brown had a long and successful career in major league baseball, and we could spend hours and pages talking about his stats throughout the years. But one of his most notable achievements came in 1968  when the Detroit Tigers won the World Series Championship and the American League Pennant. 

Just like Bennett Cooper, much more can be said about Gates Brown. Unless speaking of Andy Dufresne, people don’t usually see redemption & success when it comes to life behind bars. But Gates Brown is one success story we are proud to share as a part of the history of the Ohio State Reformatory. 

 



Restoration Updates – January 2024

Restoring Original Woodwork in the Administrative Areas

 

Our restoration team at the Ohio State Reformatory is always hard at work restoring areas of the quarter-million-square-foot structure. Restoring the original woodwork in the Administrative areas involves carefully removing the old varnish from all trim and wood surfaces with specialty scraping tools. These pieces are then sanded smooth and cleaned before a new layer of two-toned stain is applied. The pieces are then sealed with a polyurethane that keeps the wood stain preserved. Our restoration team does their best to keep all woodwork original, but sometimes it is necessary to replace broken pieces. When pieces need to be replaced, the restoration team will custom-mill them to match the originals.

 

This area of the building was originally used for the Reformatory chaplain’s living space. The chaplain had bedrooms, living space, and a kitchen and dining space on the second floor of administration. Parts of The Shawshank Redemption were also filmed in this area, including the parole board room scenes. This area has recently been reopened after restoration and is now also home to the Frank and Rae Darabont Gallery. It features pieces of movie memorabilia from The Shawshank Redemption.

 

Sometimes our restoration team encounters additional challenges when restoring these spaces. In the east hallway of the second-floor administration, one of the windows became severely damaged over the years. The team had to remove the framework of the window in its entirety. Thankfully, they were able to save some of the original trim, and expertly rebuilt it. The entire hallway was completed at the end of 2021.

News article from 1930 -GANGSTERS SAID TO BE PLANNING TO AID CONVICTS

From the Dayton Daily News Sunday, June 8th, 1930

Article found on ArticleNewspapers.com

Content Warning:

This material contains references to violence, which some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised.

 

GANGSTERS SAID TO BE PLANNING TO AID CONVICTS

City and County Officers Called on For Help At State Prison
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MACHINE AND RIOT GUNS ARE PLACED
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More Than 3200 Men and Boys Are Now Confined at Institution
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MANSFIELD, June 7— A large force of Mansfield police and deputy sheriffs armed with machine and riot guns were stationed about the walls of the Mansfield reformatory tonight in preparation for a scheduled appearance of gangsters in a purported delivery plot.
Machine guns were trained upon the gates of the institution which recently received 266 penitentiary convicts following the Columbus prison fire of April 21.
T. C Jenkins issued an appeal for local authorities after receiving a tip that gangsters were planning a delivery after midnight. Jenkins employed 25 extra guards to augment the regular force of 60. With police reinforcements the forces were increased to more than 100.
The reformatory was the scene of a minor disturbance several weeks ago when Gov. Cooper visited the institution in company with his penal commission. At this time, guards were sent into one cell block when the transferred convicts hurled catcalls and threats at the gubernatorial party.
Today’s enrollment at the prison numbered 3217 men, the majority of whom are youths and minor offenders.

 

History: The Central Guard Room

The Central Guard Room is located in the center of the Reformatory on the second floor and was integral to the prison’s operation. Inmates would have entered through this room during the processing at the beginning of their sentence, and would also leave the Reformatory through this space. This space had several purposes throughout the prison’s operation as well, including being used for visitation, and the control center for guards. After the Reformatory closed, the Shawshank Redemption used this space to film the cafeteria scenes for the movie. Today the space is used for various events held by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society.

History: The East Cell Block

Pictured here is the East Cell Block of the Ohio State Reformatory. This cell block was completed between 1908 and 1910 and was in operation until the building closed in December of 1990. This was the second of the two main cell blocks to be completed and consists of 6 tiers. The cells in the East Cell Block measure 7 ft by 9 ft, and hold two men to a cell. The cells were originally intended to house one inmate each, but due to overcrowding conditions, these cells were fitted with bunks that could instead hold two men to a cell. If you visit the Reformatory today, you can still see many of the original bunks and cell contents.
Want to learn more? We’re currently open seven days a week, 11 AM to 4 PM, and offer both guided and self-guided tours! Check on our website for current tour availability!

The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum

Admission to The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum is included with the purchase of a self-guided or guided tour ticket. The museum is located off of the bullpen, between the East and West cell blocks.

History: “The Alley”

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At the center of each tier in the cellblocks, in between the two ranges of cells, is a door that opened to an area known as “The Alley.” Pictured here is one of the alleys on the East Cell Block. The alley contains all the utilities for the cells. This space made it convenient for maintenance personnel to inspect the utilities and was also used as a method for guards to maintain discipline amongst inmates. For example, guards could walk through the alleys and listen in on inmate conversations, monitoring for any misbehavior. Once during each shift, a guard was required to walk the length of the alley down a narrow catwalk for security purposes.
Want to learn more? Visit us for a self-guided tour and explore the building! We’re open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m!

Guided Tours Are Back!

The Ohio State Reformatory is pleased to announce that public guided tours are starting up again on June 2nd. We will be adding both the History Meets Hollywood and the Beyond the Bars tours to our regular offerings. Tickets will be available for purchase on-site at the ticket desk on a first-come, first-serve basis. At this point in time, Beyond the Bars will be offered on Saturday and Sunday only. If you have questions, please reach out to our Guest Services Coordinator, Ashleigh Ramey, at ashleigh@mrps.org or by calling 419-522-2644 ext. 101. 

Hollywood News: Judas and the Black Messiah

Hollywood Update

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We are excited to announce that Judas and the Black Messiah, which was partially filmed here at the Ohio State Reformatory, received 6 Academy Award nominations and won 2 of the 6 nominated categories. The nominations included best picture, best original screenplay, best cinematography, best original song, and 2 nominations for best-supporting actor: Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield. Of the 6 nominations, the film won Oscars in the categories of best-supporting actor: Danial Kaluuya and best original song: “Fight for You” by H.E.R. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Judas and the Black Messiah!

For more information, click here.

Restoration Updates

Restoration Updates

One never knows what one will find behind a corner, lodged in a cell crevice, or behind a cupboard. Restoration at the Reformatory is always an adventure and prepping the room off the Armory was no exception. The room contained a wooden cupboard that had to be removed in order to open the passageway for handicap accessibility from the Central Guard Room elevator. No big deal, right? The cupboard came down relatively easily but behind the cupboard lay 9 metal pieces. Keith picked them up and turned them over only to be met with the faces of 9 inmates. The dates indicate that these particular inmates were here from the early 1970s and one inmate is smiling as if he just got the news he was released! But how did they end up there? These were the inmate IDs that an inmate had to always carry on their person. Disciplinary action could result if they did not have it when asked. Was it a joke or were these the 9 men designated to build the cupboard? Like a builder leaving an item in a wall to leave their mark so to speak, were these men doing the same. We may never know!

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(pictured above: Inmate I.D. cards)

ParaPsyCon 2020

Paranormal and Psychic Convention at one of America’s most famous Haunted Prisons

ParaPsyCon 2019

Hosted by the Tri-C Ghost Hunters, this annual event features speakers that include well-known authors, psychics, paranormal investigators and other experts in the arenas of the paranormal. A wide array of quality vendors offer unique, hard-to-find, and handmade items.  

Learn More about ParaPsyCon