THE FACTS
The East State Penitentiary is believed to be the first true penitentiary in American history. A penitentiary is a North American jail for serious crimes. The East State Penitentiary was used from 1829 to 1971. It refined the concept of solitary imprisonment, and was one of the only prisons of the time that focused on rehabilitation instead of life terms. The warden was legally required to visit every prisoner each day. When it was built, the East State Penitentiary was the most expensive public structure ever built in North America. It quickly became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. The penitentiary was designed by John Haviland, and inmate at the penitentiary. It was modeled after a church, with high walls and detailed stone craft. Each cell had a slot for food and two doors, as well as a skylight. One door would open into the exercise yard, the other into a hallway. The skylight was a small hole in the ceiling that was meant to represent the eye of god. The cells were extremely advanced for their time, with faucets, flush toilets, and pipes that provided heat during the winter. Each prisoner had his own exercise yard, and yards were separated by high walls so the prisoners couldn’t communicate. The prisoners’ exercise time was planned so no two neighboring prisoners would be outside at the same time. If the prisoners had to be transported, they would wear hoods over their heads. This was not to prevent them from seeing, but to prevent other prisoners from seeing them. Prisoners were treated fairly well, and were even allowed to keep pets in their exercise yards. Most of the prisoners who were sent to the East State Penitentiary committed serious crimes. On April 3, 1945, a major escape was carried out by twelve prisoners. They managed to dig a secret tunnel out of the penitentiary that spanned 97 feet. It took them a year to complete. The tunnel was discovered later, during renovations. An additional 30 uncollected tunnels were also discovered. In 1971, East State Penitentiary was closed. It now stands as a historical landmark. You can tour it today, and in October there is a haunted house tour.
THE RUMORS
As I said earlier, most of the prisoners in the East State Penitentiary committed serious crimes. However, in 1924,a rumor spread about a dog named Pep that was given a life sentence for eating the governess’s beloved cat. The dog lived in East State Penitentiary for its entire life. However, it was treated well. It was given good food and toys to play with. Some of the guards would take him for walks or play with him during their breaks.