PENDLETON — The spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. — from his “I Have a Dream” speech to the Tuesday inauguration of President Obama — was celebrated by about 60 Pendleton Correctional Facility inmates during a ceremony Wednesday.

“Martin Luther King means to me that I have hope,” said Reginald Scruggs, 47, Indianapolis. “I have a hope that I can do anything. His leadership brought about the amazing inauguration we saw yesterday.”

Scruggs, who won’t be released until 2025 after being convicted of kidnapping and criminal deviate conduct in Marion County, said King’s legacy is clearly traced to the election of Barack Obama.

“It means the country that I love, I can really say it with pride and mean it now,” Scruggs said of the nation’s first black president. “The country has really recognized that we are one and the content of a man’s character is more important than his skin color.”

Olgen Williams, Indianapolis’ deputy mayor for neighborhoods, was the ceremony’s featured speaker. He said King’s message of hope has special significance for inmates, most of whom will ultimately be released and returned to society.

“I like to encourage in them that there is hope,” Williams said shortly before the ceremony. “It may seem dark, but there is light.

“Once you try to help yourself, other people will try to help you,” he continued. “A changed life starts here, not when you get out. The dream starts here, not when you get out.”

The ceremony included a brief history lesson about King from Superintendent Brett Mize and performances from the prison’s Chapel Praise and Worship Choir.

“To me (King) is a voice crying out in the wilderness,” said one of the choir’s leaders, John Hairston, 31, Indianapolis. “To me it somewhat reminds me of John the Baptist. I feel that voice in me too. Self-examination is vital for success.”

Hairston, who isn’t scheduled for release until 2030 after being convicted in Marion County of attempted murder and multiple counts of theft, described himself as a born-again Christian.

“I like to say Christian soldier,” Hairston said. “Because it’s a fight to live right when you’ve been living wrong for so long.”

Contact reporter Shawn McGrath at 640-4883 and shawn.mcgrath@heraldbulletin.com