Even before the Ohio State Reformatory, or Mansfield Reformatory, was opened in 1896, it was the site of a Civil War camp plagued by death and disease. After the prison opened its doors it housed over 5,000 prisoners and was the location of 200 deaths. The prison was finally shut down in 1990, and since then it has become even more famous as the location of the Shawshank Redemption. It is now a tourist destination, and the prison staff hosts multiple tours each week. The ghost tours are the most popular feature. Haunted Stark County author Sherri Brake, explores the darker history of the Ohio State Reformatory, and she tells the tales of the inmates who never moved beyond the prison walls. One such story involves the warden's wife who was accidently shot as a pistol fell from her closet and discharged a shot which pierced her heart. It is her rose perfume that many smell while wandering through the warden's living quarters.

Prison escapes, inmate murders, and legendary haunts are all a part of The Haunted History of the Ohio State Reformatory.