Eastern State Penitentiary was born with a goal in mind – treating criminals in early America in a “more humane” manner. The results of this new prison strategy, though, were a far cry from what its founders intended.
In early post-Revolutionary American history, prisons held accused criminals only until their trials. And many of these spaces were problematic within themselves – with common abuse between inmates and guards.
From there, those convicted faced “public and corporal” punishment…