Do you want your coffee black?

R. McKinnell

Sept 8, 2025

Among the oral histories conducted, not all the interesting stories came from inmates.  Richard Pass came to the Ohio State Reformatory as a social worker in 1963 and later became Director of Social Services.

One of Pass’s (front row left- white shirt and tie) duties was to interview incoming inmates about their family history, medical condition, summary of crime and create a visitor list but his duties also included working with Alcoholics Anonymous.  The meetings were held once a month but an integral part of the meetings was coffee.  When inmates were released, they were given the location of meetings held in Mansfield and coffee was always served.

That, however, wasn’t the case in prison, and when other inmates learned that coffee was served in these meetings, they complained to the superintendent.  Pass had to explain that coffee was essential to the AA re-habilitation.

Pass, (front row left- white shirt and tie) however, ran into bigger problems when he became Director of Social Services.  In that position, he oversaw all the social workers and sat on committees which would screen inmates for transfer to other prison facilities.  An inmate wanted a transfer to Lebanon but 2 out of the 3 on the committee voted against it.  Pass opened the door and an inmate came into his office uninvited to discuss it, but things got out of hand.

Pass’s desk was between his chair and another chair for visitors.  Pass noticed the inmate sniffing a rag which probably had glue in it giving a person a high.  This inmate kept sniffing it while Pass tried to reason with him but to no avail.  The inmate pulled out a leather cutting knife used in the shoe factory and came after him holding a knife to his neck slashing him.  Finally, Pass turned the back of his chair and ran it into the inmate.  Pass was able to escape into the hallway.  The inmate, however, went berserk flipping papers and furniture in Pass’s office until an officer came in.  The inmate got a transfer but not the one he wanted.  He was transferred to Lucasville, Ohio’s maximum-security prison!

Submitted R. McKinnell Aug. 26, 2025    Sept. Newsletter