The Penitentiary Era (jan 1, 1790 – jan 1, 1825)
Description:
In 1790, Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Jail was converted into a penitentiary by the Pennsylvania Quakers. The Quakers viewed incarceration as an opportunity for penance and saw prisons as places wherein offenders might make amends with society and accept responsibility for their misdeeds. The philosophy of imprisonment begun by the Quakers, heavily imbued with elements of rehabilitation and deterrence, carries over to the present dayAdded to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1790
jan 1, 1825
~ 35 years