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Eastern State Penitentiary oral history project, 1993-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:

5.0 linear feet

Abstract:

When it opened in 1829, the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary") was the world's first true "penitentiary" in the sense that it was designed to inspire true feelings of penitence in the hearts of inmates. Initially characterized by its system of strict isolation and grand architecture, more than 300 prisons on five continents were modeled after Eastern State Penitentiary. Over 142 years of operation, the system of isolation was gradually abandoned and the penitentiary became a traditional modern prison; in 1971, the facility was closed. The Eastern State Penitentiary oral history project, 1993-2012, consists of about 130 oral history interviews with former inmates, employees of the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary"), family members of employees, and volunteers such as Chaplains.

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]

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American Foundation Institute of Corrections files on American prisons, 1962-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:

11.1 linear feet

Abstract:

William G. Nagel (1917-2009) was president of the American Foundation in Philadelphia from 1969 until his retirement in 1983. Now known as the Bok Tower Gardens Foundation, the entity operated a research group on prisons known as the Institute of Corrections, of which Mr. Nagel was director. The Institute conducted national studies that resulted in Nagel's 1973 work The New Red Barn: A Critical Look at the Modern American Prison.

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]

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State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania records, circa 1830-1970

Extent:

31.0 linear feet

Abstract:

When it opened in 1829, the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary") was the world's first true "penitentiary" in the sense that it was designed to inspire true feelings of penitence in the hearts of inmates. Initially characterized by its system of strict isolation and grand architecture, more than 300 prisons on five continents were modeled after Eastern State Penitentiary. Over 142 years of operation, the system of isolation was gradually abandoned and the penitentiary became a traditional modern prison; in 1971, the facility was closed. The State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania records, circa 1830-1970, is comprised of various fragmentary records of the "Eastern State Penitentiary" that were either found on-site after the prison was closed, or donated by various individuals with connections to the prison. There are records relating to the operations and administration of the prison as a whole, as well as...(see more)

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]