Darcia Helle's Blog (1)

The word penitentiary originates from the Pennsylvania Quakers’ belief in penitence and self-examination as a way of achieving salvation. The first American penitentiary was the Walnut Street Jail, established in Philadelphia in 1790. The structural pattern of outside cells, along with the central corridor, was introduced at Walnut Street Jail and soon became the major architectural feature of prison construction. Walnut Street Jail was also the place where solitary confinement was permanently… Continue