“Don’t judge a person by their worst moment. It only takes one mistake to end up in my position.”
As I sat in a group circle at Pickaway Correctional Institution listening to Jack share his experience in the prison system, it struck me how right he was: How often we judge a person for what they’ve done at their lowest point and how easily we forget the humanity we share.
This was my third visit to a correctional facility with the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, one of the Ohio State Bar Foundation’s grant recipients. As executive director of the OSBF, I often have the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible work our grantees are doing across Ohio, actively improving the justice system and all the moving parts around it.
On this day, I was joined by the 2026 Fellows Class, a group of Ohio attorneys and judges who share the Foundation’s commitment to advancing justice. We welcome a new class of Fellows every year, and as such, we show them exactly what we do and what we stand for with programming throughout the year that includes meetings, service days, and this annual prison visit.
The visit does more than show the outcome of our grants—it exposes legal professionals to the prison system directly. We are grateful to have this partnership with the Frederick Douglass Project, because it offers a new perspective on the criminal justice system by creating human connections with incarcerated people.
The conversations I’ve had with those inside have left me grateful for the opportunities I’ve been afforded and made me think critically about what justice looks like. When we look beyond a person’s worst mistake and invest in them, it strengthens our communities and ultimately creates a more just society through understanding.
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with approximately 2 million individuals in facilities at any given time. Programs like the Frederick Douglass Project are critical today as we assess the justice system and strive to understand the impacts of mass incarceration on the population and how we can effectively reduce recidivism.
The Foundation is proud to support nonprofits like this across the state who are on the ground making meaningful strides to advance justice. And our work has never been more critical: Nonprofits increasingly share their struggles with funding these vital programs.
This challenge was a key factor in the OSBF’s decision to increase our funding policy in November, which will allow us to grant over $2M this year. This change means we fund more grants, reach more people in need, and create real change in communities across Ohio.
The Foundation is celebrating its 75th year and a legacy of service and justice. It’s fitting that at this time, we are finding ways to increase our impact and continue that legacy. Our renewed mission is at the core of it all: Advance justice and civic engagement through service and philanthropy. And you can be a part of it—support us at osbf.org/giving.
Name changed to preserve anonymity.
Written by: Laurie Beth Sweeney
