Eastern State Penitentiary

Episode 40 – Originally Published 2017 In the late 1700s, the Philadelphia Prison Society had dreams of creating the gold standard for prisons based on the philosophy that a truly penitent man could gain redemption of his soul, and rehabilitation, through thoughtful isolation. Thus began a 40 year journey among the prison society, corrections inspectors, and Pennsylvania legislature to create a unique, model prison system – Eastern State Penitentiary. Most prisons in the 19th century were modeled after Eastern State, and for all it’s glory and grandeur, the Pennsylvania System – a system of penitent isolation – was doomed. By 1966 the prison was in a complete state of disrepair. Over 20 years later the city was ready to tear it down for redevelopment until a task force stepped in, preserving the history, the legacy that is Eastern State Penitentiary. TwistedPhilly is researched, hosted, and produced by me, Deana Marie, and available biweekly wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Tiktok and Instagram at twistedphilly to see many of the locations and histories I discuss in the show. The post Eastern State Penitentiary appeared first on TwistedPhilly.