Residents at the Ohio Reformatory for Women take off at the start line of the MS Walk held at the prison Tuesday morning. The three-mile race was the culmination of a fundraising effort through which women at ORW raised nearly $5,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The event was the first fundraiser run or walk during which guests were able to accompany inmates, and the first since 2019.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Kayleen Petrovia)
—
For the first time within the prison’s walls, dozens of incarcerated women at the Ohio Reformatory for Women sat outside with their friends and family, preparing to go for a run.
For some, the MS Walk was a way to give back to those who are living with multiple sclerosis.
Others were able to reunite with friends they met while serving prison sentences, who have since been released.
One woman was able to give her younger brother a glimpse of her life at ORW for the first time.
Regardless of their reason for participating, many residents at ORW said they had been waiting for the day to come.
“This is absolutely unheard of,” said resident Megan Goff. “It’s something I never thought I’d see.”
While the prison has hosted fundraiser races in the past, Jeff Coleson, unit manager at ORW, said Tuesday’s MS Walk was the first one that allowed guests to join inmates during the event.
Lisa Ritchie, a resident at ORW, said she has participated in fundraisers and other events in the past but the MS Walk felt especially “hopeful.”
Ritchie was joined by Brenda Rose, a friend who said she was released three years ago after being incarcerated at ORW for more than 22 years.
“It’s good to know she’s doing so well and that she hasn’t forgotten about me,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie said she was particularly excited to have guests at the event because they would see her serve as the ASL interpreter during the performance of the National Anthem before the race began.
She learned ASL from a deaf friend at ORW, who inspired her to join her church’s “silent choir.”
While Rose said she felt a bit “anxious” going beyond just the visiting room, she said it was important for her to see and support her friends.
Likewise, Michelle Deardoff returned to the prison to visit her friend, Goff.
Although Deardoff was released more than a decade ago, the pair has maintained a close relationship.
“She allows me to be included outside the razor wire,” Goff said, adding that Deardoff regularly sends her photos of her husband, kids and the ocean.
Deardoff said “I got the tools I needed” while incarcerated to be successful once released from prison, although “a lot of people don’t know how to respond to regular life.”
She said events like the MS Walk – which help strengthen relationships between the women at ORW and their loved ones on the outside – are crucial to helping reduce recidivism.
“If you don’t have anybody on the outside, what reason do you have to change?” Deardoff said.
Quaneeka Wade, a resident at ORW, said the MS Walk gave her an opportunity to connect with her younger brother, Harold.
Harold said he has seen his sister in the visiting room but the event gave him a chance to “actually put a picture to” the place she lives.
While sitting on a bench in the yard, Quaneeka pointed out the building she lives in, traced her walk to the dining hall and noted where the commissary is located.
Quaneeka told her brother that she has more freedom at ORW than she expected, after answering a question about whether she has to wear handcuffs when walking from place to place.
“How you see me right now is how I am every day,” she said to him, holding up her bare hands.
Aside from the chance for a special day of visitation, a number of the MS Walk participants said they were thankful for the chance to contribute to positive causes.
Together, residents at ORW raised $4,474.25 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
As they walked or ran laps around the one-mile course on the prison grounds, many wore orange – the color used on the MS awareness ribbon – badges that said “End MS Forever.”
“It’s fun but it’s more about giving back,” Ritchie said. “We’ve all harmed our communities in some way. This is like paying penance.”