Ghosts and the Shawshank Redemption

Location: Ohio State Reformatory; Mansfield, Ohio

Date: July 11, 2006

The Ohio State Reformatory, also known locally as the Mansfield Reformatory, appeared on an episode of Ghost Hunters.  I, however, find the prison most recognizable by its appearance in one of the best American movies ever made, The Shawshank Redemption.

When exploring the property, it’s impossible to not think the prison is haunted.

The outside brings to mind ancient European castles and cathedrals; the inside (particularly the two awe-inspiring cell blocks which seemingly go up and on forever) is a showcase of pealing paint, rust, and darkness.

The prison is supposedly one of the most haunted places in the country, certainly one of the most haunted prisons, and while there is no definite core of activity, a cell on the second level of the east cellblock seems to stand out not just in the Ghost Hunters episode, but to most of the employees as well (the X that Dustin and Dave marked in the episode is still on display above the door).

We arrived at the prison early enough to wander the front of the complex and take pictures.

And then our tour began.

Most of the guide’s stories came from the prison’s past and the various places that appeared in The Shawshank Redemption and Ghost Hunters.  However, we were the beneficiaries of a story about how some of the employees have felt the presence of certain apparitions…

Neither I, nor anyone else in my family, felt a definite ghostly presence, but the overall creepiness of the place certainly inspired us to take a lot of pictures.

What we consider to be a very real orb.
Note the odd shape and brightness.

Several contained orbs but, in one of them, we found what I consider to be a definite sign of paranormal activity.

A picture of the east cellblock revealed an object that is much more than just an orb.  On photo paper, it is a marble-sized blob of bright-white energy.  If it is an orb, it is the brightest and strangest that I have ever seen.

The glowing ball of energy in the photograph is certainly some kind of energy.  There were large windows in the room, but it was cloudy that day and I simply don’t see how the dim-lighted corridor could have produced such a phenomenon on its own.

Perhaps the Mansfield Reformatory is a hot-spot for the past’s leftover energy.  Perhaps it is so strong and pulsing that it has gained some kind of intelligence; maybe that’s why we didn’t see it or feel it while we were on the property.

Or maybe we just weren’t there long enough.

       

Mitch.