The Deviant Prison


Book Description

A compelling examination of the highly criticized use of long-term solitary confinement in Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary during the nineteenth century.




Hope Abandoned


Book Description

Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary was abandoned for more than twenty years after closing its doors in 1971. Perrott's photographs capture the spirit of this awesome building in haunting black and white.




Eastern State Penitentiary


Book Description

The massive Eastern State Penitentiary in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, now a National Historic Landmark, is remarkable for its innovative architecture and its pioneering system of isolation in individual cells. Heir to the energetic Quaker reformist tradition in Philadelphia in the 1820s, the penitentiary was a model of idealism in penal reform and a model of prison architecture for the world. About three hundred prisons worldwide trace their paternity to Eastern State Penitentiary. This book shows how the novel experiment in prison reform contended with the realities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and explores the legacy of this crucible of good intentions.




Al Capone Does My Shirts


Book Description

The Newbery Honor Book and New York Times Bestseller that is historical fiction with a hint of mystery about living at Alcatraz not as a prisoner, but as a kid meeting some of the most famous criminals in our history. Al Capone Does My Shirts has become an instant classic for all kids to read! Today I moved to Alcatraz, a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cooks or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. And then there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to. A Newbery Honor Book A New York Times Bestseller A People magazine "Best kid's Book" An ALA Book for Young Adults An ALA Notable Book A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Krikus Reviews Editor's Choice A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A Parents' Choice Silver Honor Book A New York Public Library "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" Selection A New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age *"Choldenko's pacing is exquisite. . . . [A] great read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"Exceptionally atmospheric, fast-paced and memorable!"—Publishers Weekly, starred review *"The story, told with humor and skill, will fascinate readers."—School Library Journal, starred review "Al is the perfect novel for a young guy or moll who digs books by Gordon Korman, or Louis Sachar."—Time Out New York for Kids "Funny situations and plot twists abound!"—People magazine "Heartstopping in some places, heartrending in others, and most of all, it is heartwarming."—San Francisco Chronicle




Annual Report of the Inspectors


Book Description




Eastern State Penitentiary


Book Description

The only comprehensive history of one of America's most infamous prisons, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. Looming on the horizon like a storm cloud made of stone, the Eastern State Penitentiary spent more than a century as the fortress that both the law-abiding and criminal feared. In this superbly balanced and thoroughly researched volume, Paul Kahan presents the history of this revolutionary penitentiary, from its inception as a model of the revolutionary Pennsylvania System of incarceration in 1829 to the demands for its closure in the wake of ever-increasing violence in 1971. Through tales of spectacular escapes, official corruption, reformation and retribution, Kahan chronicles the tensions that plagued Eastern State since the arrival of its first prisoners.




Philadelphia Haunts


Book Description

Read stories brought to life during encounters at Eastern State Penitentiary, where whispers from the famed Cell Block 12 were caught on tape. At Fort Mifflin, visions of bloody men of the Revolutionary time are seen and their agonizing cries are heard. Also visit apparitions of South Philly and Center City; read about a ghost who'd killed family members and then himself--he now interacts with the living; see a nostalgic spirit who stands at the corner of 9th and Passyunk. Included is information for ghost hunters about protection, equipment, and tips for investigating ghosts. Watch where you walk in Philadelphia; chances are there may be a spirit or two strolling next to you!




Escape to Prison


Book Description

The resurrection of former prisons as museums has caught the attention of tourists along with scholars interested in studying what is known as dark tourism. Unsurprisingly, due to their grim subject matter, prison museums tend to invert the ÒDisneylandÓ experience, becoming the antithesis of Òthe happiest place on earth.Ó In Escape to Prison, the culmination of years of international research, noted criminologist Michael Welch explores ten prison museums on six continents, examining the complex interplay between culture and punishment. From Alcatraz to the Argentine Penitentiary, museums constructed on the former locations of surveillance, torture, colonial control, and even rehabilitation tell unique tales about the economic, political, religious, and scientific roots of each siteÕs historical relationship to punishment.




Abandoned America


Book Description

Originally intended as an examination of the rise and fall of the state hospital system, Matthew Christopher's Abandoned America rapidly grew to encompass derelict factories and industrial sites, schools, churches, power plants, hospitals, prisons, military installations, hotels, resorts, homes, and more.




Hauntings of the Kentucky State Penitentiary


Book Description

The darkest stories from the nefarious “Castle on the Cumberland” from a former prison guard and paranormal expert. “The place sits on blood as surely as it does on stone and earth.” The Kentucky State penitentiary opened its heavy iron gates to the condemned over 100 years ago—yet many of them, long deceased, still walk its corridors. Noted paranormal researcher Steve E. Asher provides true, first-hand accounts of the paranormal as well as his own personal experiences at the state’s most violent, controversial—and haunted—prison. He uncovers the shocking testimonies of the men and women who have actually worked behind the prison walls and their encounters with the spirits of dead inmates. The compelling facts found inside this book will leave you questioning everything you ever thought possible about life after death.