I have been studying here in Philadelphia for a few years now. One of my favorite landmarks to visit here is the Eastern State Penitentiary. Built in 1929, it eventually became a model for over 300 prisons worldwide.
When construction on the prison first began, it was supposed to only house 250 prisoners. The original intent of the penitentiary was to completely isolate the prisoners, not just as punishment, but to encourage introspection and "penitence," hence the name. By the time the prison closed in 1971, it could hold 900 prisoners, by forcing multiple occupants into cells originally intended to only hold one.
This highlights what I consider to be one of the gravest injustices in this country today:
- There are currently approximately 2.3 million prisoners in the United States today.
