An extraordinary event happened recently at the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) – my housing unit’s first Family Day, and what a blessed day it was! 

We raised money for the day’s expenses through our Pawsabilities program. The program allows ORW staff members to bring in their dogs for daycare, grooming, long-term boarding and obedience training. Inmates take care of the dogs and are trained to be groomers and handlers, which makes them employable upon release. It’s a winning combination.

What makes Family Day so different and special is that it is not held in the visiting hall, it is inside the prison itself. It also runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., which is more than twice as long as a regular visit. 

We had the entire yard, gym and Religious and Recovery (R&R) Building and created a carnival atmosphere with handmade decorations. For all intents and purposes, the rest of the prison is shut down, and movement is limited to keep everyone safe. 

It takes a massive amount of planning, paperwork and permission-seeking from the unit staff members to pull off such an event, and because it was our first, a lot was riding on its success.

I’d wanted to invite my parents and my brother and his family, but we were limited to two adults and only our own children. I don’t have any children, so I decided on my brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Gretchen. My parents graciously agreed with my decision. When attendance topped 250 people, I saw the wisdom of the restrictions.

We gathered initially in the gym, where we’d set up tables for the families. It was considered base camp, and we had breakfast and lunch there. When Wayne and Gretchen came in, I rushed to meet them with a giant hug and led them to our table; I was ready to get our day started!

Despite the many babies, children, tweens, teens and adults in the same space, it was easy to carry on conversations. At first, everyone seemed to be in their own family bubble, eating a breakfast of doughnuts, juice and fruit cups. The bubbles broke when it was announced that the games were ready, and the yard was open.

The first place I wanted us to go was simply outside in the sunshine because God blessed us with a perfectly sunny, 75-degree day. We found a picnic table and parked there as I described what the surrounding buildings were. Then we started wandering through the yard as I continued my tour guide descriptions – from the 1,000-inmate mega-dorm to the chow hall, mental health building, administration building, other dorms, and way back in the farthest corner was my housing unit.

Wayne said that the prison was like a little island, and he was right, except that instead of being surrounded by water, there is a razor-wire-topped electrified fence. That sobering fact aside, they got a true perspective of the logistics and understood that when I said I walk a quarter mile to the chow hall, it really is a quarter mile!

All morning, we could smell the tantalizing aroma of charcoal burning, and it was the most wonderful scent on earth. It added to the carnival vibe, and we knew our lunch was being grilled. I hadn’t had a charcoal-grilled hamburger or hot dog in what seemed like 100 years (and they were worth the wait). The grill master was our first-shift officer who volunteered to come in that day just to cook for us and our families.

There were little children everywhere, running around or sitting with their mothers. Plenty of older kids, too, throwing footballs and frisbees, playing cornhole or walking around the track like we were. My fellow inmates were doing all of the above with their families: playing, walking, sitting, talking – happily being pulled in many different directions!

The R&R building was Game and Snack Central. Ring tosses, bean bag throws with various targets, mini-Plinko, face painting, snow cones, popcorn and cotton candy made it feel like an old-style parish picnic instead of a prison picnic. I made plastic keychains for my niece and nephew, and we picked out picture frame kits to assemble for our keepsake photo.

Spending the day with Wayne and Gretchen was the best day of my entire year. We walked, talked, played games and laughed for hours, thanking the Good Lord over and over for the opportunity to be together. 

Throughout the day, we played a family trivia Q&A game (invented by a creative cousin of ours in Florida). Its purpose was to spark memories and conversations. As such, the conversations we had ranged from lighthearted to serious and really strengthened our relationship. The gratitude I have for being able to spend so much quality family time is still overwhelming.

As an inmate, the importance of family cannot be overstated. They have been my support system for almost three decades, encouraging and loving me unconditionally. My family ranks second only to God in my life, and they both are the true constants I depend on. 

I am the first to say how blessed I am despite my circumstances. God was clearly here with us on Family Day. And He is still here with me – long after the day ended, everyone went home, and prison became prison again.


Michele Williams is an inmate at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.