Ohio’s first “inside” recovery celebration

For Immediate Release
Media contacts:
JoEllen Smith, ODRC
[email protected], 614-214-4510
Eric Wandersleben, OhioMHAS
[email protected], 614-359-6754
Liz Henrich, OACBHA,
[email protected], 614-634-8257

(CHILLICOTHE, Ohio) - Today, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) Director Annette Chambers-Smith was joined by Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn, and Cheri Walter, executive director of the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) for the state's first "inside" recovery celebration.

The event was open to the more than 2,000 men incarcerated at Chillicothe Correctional Institution and included speakers sharing their lived experiences with addiction and recovery and messages of hope for the future. Informational booths were set up where the incarcerated men could learn more about recovery and mental health resources available during and after incarceration.

"With the support of our staff and partners like OhioMHAS and OACBHA, we embrace the efforts of incarcerated Ohioans to change their lives by committing to recovery," said ODRC Director Annette Chambers-Smith. "For us, hope is job one, and we will continue to do what we can to provide hope for our population and encourage them on their road to recovery. We want to send people home as healthy as possible."

While small, select groups of incarcerated individuals have been permitted to attend recovery celebrations outside the prison walls in the past, this was the first time such an event was held inside an Ohio prison.

"Under Governor DeWine's leadership, we are working hard to make services more visible, accessible, and effective for all - including the thousands of men and women in our prisons. Recovery and the promise of a brighter tomorrow apply to all Ohioans, no matter their circumstance in life," said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. "Our ongoing partnership with ODRC leverages our combined expertise to increase treatment within prisons and ensures a better connection to clinical and recovery supports upon release to help the men and women we serve be well, get well, and stay well."

"We're immensely proud to be a part of this extremely exciting, first of its kind, recovery event in an institution," said Cheri L. Walter, CEO, Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities. "We're thankful for the partnership with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the team at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. As we celebrate recovery and promote the benefits of accessing and engaging in services and supports, we'll continue to show individuals throughout Ohio that treatment works, people recover, and Recovery Is Beautiful!"

More information about correctional recovery services can be found here.