Actually the Mansfield prison wasn't shut down. It is up and running to this day. That was actually where they housed death row before some of the death row inmates made a pretty good escape a few years back. After that, they moved Death Row to OSP (Ohio State Penitentiary). That's only where they house the death row inmates. They transport them to Lucasville (Southern Ohio Correctional Facility) about a week before they are put to death and they are executed in Lucasville. I was always told it was difficult for the officers who are there for the inmates day in and day out to then have to take part in their executions (which is why they transfer them to Lucasville for that). I feel like that makes sense. These guys already messed up enough lives. The Old Reformatory that was actually where Shawshank was filmed is very close to the current Mansfield prison and even closer to the current Richland Correctional Institution. The Reformatory is currently open nearly year round for ghost hunts. I believe they close the ghost hunts from September to November due to the haunted house they put on (which I hear is AMAZING). Here is more info:
https://www.mrps.org/explore/ghost-events/private-ghost-hunts
Also, for anyone who is curious as to what Ohio's Death row is actually like, there is a really good interview that came out this week on the Sword and Scale Podcast. I honestly believe anyone who is pro death penalty should listen to this before completely making up their mind. I have been on Death Row before. I have seen it with my own eyes. Death Row doesn't even have a security level.(Please let me know if you need more explanation there). This podcast tells the stories of the unbelievable perks these people get while on death row. Although most of the inmates do not want to die, they live almost like kings while they are being housed on Death Row. They are the only inmates in the entire prison system who get to choose to have their cell near their friends. Also, if, for some reason, the governor commutes their sentence to life, that in itself is one scary process. These guys were living the high life on Death Row for 20 years or so and then one day they get on a bus and are just released into general population. Sometimes there is no warning to the prison staff. It is not until his files are unloaded and someone comes across his execution certificate when staff realizes he was on death row yesterday. I could go on and on about this and should probably stop but I definitely encourage the family to listen to this podcast. It is only an hour long and I can tell you right now what my initial thought would be if something happened to my child but I would, at the very least, like to make this decision as informed as I can be. Sorry for the rant
<mods> I have not placed that link as an advertisement, just to explain the status of the prison at this time. If you feel it is inappropriate please feel free to remove it. Thank you.