Eastern State Penitentiary(Last night 5/29/22)

After we rested our feet for a little while and grabbed some dinner

we headed back out to the 

Eastern State Penitentiary to do a night tour.

It was a self guided audio tour.

The Eastern State Penitentiary(ESP) opened in October 1829 and was considered the world's first true penitentiary. ESP system of incarceration (Pennsylvania system) encouraged separate confinement as a 

form of rehabilitation. The warden was legally require to visit each

 inmate every day and the overseers were required to see each inmate three times a day.

ESP was different from the Auburn system (Sing Sing) which forced prisoners to work in silence together and could be subjected to physical punishment. While the Auburn system was more popular, ESP was the model for over 300 prison worldwide.

Originally the inmates could only access  the cell though small door in that back 

of the cell that lead them to a small exercise yard attached to the back of the prison.

Only a small area, large enough to pass meals through opened onto the cell block.

The design was not practical and in middle of construction cell doors were added to allow prisoners

to enter and leave the cell block through meal door that were covered by heavy wooden doors

to filter our the noise. The halls were designed to have a church like feel.

I am not sure why, but I found ESP strikingly beautiful. 

This one really enjoyed the audio tour.

Then we reached the spot! Al Capone's cell while

he was at ESP.

His cell was a much nicer then those of other inmates, during his 

seven month stay. He was serving time for carrying a concealed,

unlicensed .38 caliber revolver.

We got to hear the story of Pep the cat killing dog that was given 

a life sentence. He served only two years ESP, before being transferred.

Pep was sent to ESP as a moral boost for the prisoners, but booking 

of the dog was done in "fun".

Pep never killed a cat!

We visited Cellblock 15, Death Row.

It opened in 1959 and  was the opposite of the originally idea of the

prison that focused  on rehabilitation.

We ended the night with a guided tour of Soup Alley.

Eleven years after confinement ended and prisoners could

finally eat together. This was a huge task for the prison to under take

 and a huge shift from the separate confinement model of the prison.

I found the self guide tour fascinating and truly enjoyed it.

I would go back and do it again, because I am sure I missed some things.

This ended our last full day in Philadelphia.