Solitary Confinement Was Invented at This Philadelphia Prison in the 1800s

Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania

Before Eastern State Penitentiary, American prisoners were thrown together in crowded, filthy jails. This Philadelphia prison changed everything in 1829 with its spoke-like design and strict rules about silence. Here’s how it became one of the most influential prisons in America.

A New Way to Deal with Criminals

The Pennsylvania System came up with the idea of solitary confinement. The goal was to have prisoners contemplate their crimes, not just get punished.

In 1787, Declaration of Independence signer Dr. Benjamin Rush started the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons to push for this reform.

Each prisoner stayed alone in their cell for 23 hours every day with just one hour outside in a small yard. Guards also made inmates wear masks when moving them so they couldn’t talk to other prisoners.

The Prison Built Like a Wheel

British builder John Haviland won the design contest in 1821 and got a $100 prize. His plan looked like a wheel with seven cell buildings holding 450 cells going out from the center. This let one guard standing in the middle see all the halls at once.

The First Prisoner

Charles Williams walked into Eastern State on October 25, 1829 as prisoner number one. Prison records said he was “Light Black Skin. Five feet seven inches tall. Broad Mouth. Black eyes. Farmer by trade.”

Williams got caught stealing a twenty-dollar watch, a three-dollar gold seal, and a gold key. The judge gave him two years in prison with hard work.

An Inhumane Reputation

The Pennsylvania System got attention around the world, and the public was divided. Famous writer Charles Dickens came in 1842 and said keeping prisoners alone was “worse than hurting their bodies.”

Al Capone Gets Special Treatment

Police caught famous gangster Al Capone outside a Philadelphia movie theater in May 1929 with a hidden gun. Unlike other prisoners, Capone got special treatment in his cell on “Park Avenue Block.”

His room had nice furniture, fancy rugs, and a radio. A 1929 newspaper wrote about paintings on his walls and a shiny desk with a lamp. When Capone finished his eight months on March 17, 1930, big crowds waited outside to see the famous criminal leave.

The Big Tunnel Escape

Bank robber Willie Sutton spent 11 years at Eastern State after robbing Philadelphia’s Corn Exchange Bank. On April 3, 1945, “Slick Willie” and 11 other prisoners escaped through a 97-foot tunnel that went past the prison walls.

The Only Man Who Got Away

In 1923, Leo Callahan was in jail for attempted murder when he and five other prisoners built a 30-foot wooden ladder to climb over the prison’s 30-foot wall.

Guards caught Callahan’s accomplices, but he got away completely. Callahan is one of only four prisoners who escaped Eastern State and never got caught during the prison’s 142 years.

The Prison’s Biggest Fight

January 1961 brought Eastern State’s worst riot. Prisoner John Klausenberg tricked a guard into opening prisoner Manual Madronal’s cell, then both men jumped him. About 30 inmates joined the fight, beating guards and letting other prisoners out of their cells.

The Prison Shuts Down

Eastern State Penitentiary closed in January 1970 after 141 years. Most prisoners and workers were moved to Graterford Prison, 31 miles away.

Philadelphia bought the building from Pennsylvania for $400,000 in 1971. The prison opened again briefly that year to hold prisoners from another prison where a riot happened, then sat empty for almost twenty years.

Saving the Old Prison

Eastern State became a National Historic Landmark in 1965. By 1988, a group called the Eastern State Penitentiary Task Force talked Mayor Wilson Goode into stopping plans to tear it down. Small tour groups started visiting soon after.

Visiting Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary is at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the Fairmount neighborhood.

During the tour, you can listen to “The Voices of Eastern State” audio tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi, with stories from former guards, wardens, and prisoners.

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