I am a former employee of the evil criminal justice system (federal) and now teach criminal justice at the university level. I used to take classes to ESP. The tour was very interesting and students were pretty amazed to see it in person. I stopped going when the new regime came in. There are outlets across PA for the discussion of mass incarceration - the constitution center is just down the road. There are many symposiums and community groups currently speaking to this issue. Much like the program at ESP, the "conversation" is one-sided. This is a historical site. We don't need the mission statement changed to reflect the political views of the people who currently work there. My judgment would not be as harsh if room was made for different views of the criminal justice "system." Unfortunately, that is not happening.
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@Julie Barnes
Calling ESP programs “political” strikes me as another back handed attempt to avoid serious public conversation about America’s prison system—its uses and misuses. This unique historical site can teach us important lessons about the past, if we are ready and willing to learn.
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I agree with Mary. I feel ambivalent at best about Terror Behind the Walls and would not attend. However, I know lots of people who do. Apparently it’s a very successful fundraiser. When they’re hiring each year before the event, Fairmount Ave. is lined with kids wanting to work it.
I support Eastern State Penitentiary by purchasing T-shirts as gifts for young friends. (I avoid the Al Capone shirt. I don’t want to glorify a criminal.)
There is definitely an educational mission to the tours. One learns about the evolving philosophies around incarceration, changing practices, religious accommodations, etc. I couldn’t get in the Martin Luther King, Jr. event the other year because it was so packed.
I tell myself Terror Behind the Walls is the price we pay to keep Eastern State Penitentiary from the hands of developers. I’m sure as I write this, somebody somewhere in Philadelphia is thinking about Eastern St. Penitentiary Condominiums.
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Terror Behind Walls is Eastern State’s major fund raiser. It is a cruel and insensitive event. It should be permanently banned. It is hypocritical to boast their progressive programming and continue to promote the nasty tone deaf fund raiser that is their primary identity-Terror Behind Walks.
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@Mary DeWitt
In what way is this cruel? I live two blocks from the prison, have contributed toward its historic restoration, and have taken numerous Terror tours. The only possible cruelty is (volitional) exposure to the scariest and most creative spooky house on the East coast. In an actual prison! It's scarier than you can possibly anticipate, but much more fun. Thousands and thousands of visitors make a yearly pilgrimage to experience it, as it changes each year.
I think it's a terrifically creative way to fund their mission of engaging and enlightening public attitudes toward incarceration.
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@Mary DeWitt Do you protest roller coasters as well? I think I read your paper “Haunted Hay Rides: Systemic Oppression on Wheels.”
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@Mary DeWitt
No one is forced to go to this! If it were cruel, would it attract thousands of people annually, many repeat customers? I’ve been, and I admired the level of artistry and creativity involved. It is a very sophisticated event and it gets more complicated every year as new features (for instance, the old infirmary has been restored, and there’s a very scary tour through there)are added. Without this fundraiser, they wouldn’t survive.
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I've lived within a few blocks of ESP years before it became the site/attraction it is today. The neighborhood around the poison has be up-and-coming for a long time and is now considered one of the best neighborhoods in Philly.
For years, the city looked into what to do with the site, including building housing within the existing surrounding walls. It proved impossible or cost prohibitive to to do much with the site.
It's really cool to see that over the years the site has be transformed into a tourist and event site, and now seems even more innovative in it's mission to further educate the public.
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Stumbled upon ESP while honeymooning last year. Was so cool, seriously, sounds lame, honeymooning in Philly, and then toured a prison, sounds ironic, but it is not. The multi-media options, exhibits, and access to all the areas are pretty worth the time and money to go. These are the things I liked, 1) the history of prisons in the US. Each state had different philosophies. You will be told about ESP's role in Pennsylvania's philosophy. 2) the Al Capone story is not confirmed 100% and the museum acknowledges that, and I appreciate when it, as a museum, says there may be some issues with the historical facts with the story. To me, it showed authenticity, and truthfully, Al Capone's cell is not that interesting when you think all the other stories about the people who were imprisoned there.
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Interesting to compare this to Kilmainhaim Gaol (Jail in Gaelic) in Dublin which was opened in 1796 as a "model" penitentiary designed by reform minded architects. Prior to Kilmainhaim, prisoners were all housed in one big room which led to fights, rapes, child rapes, etc. Solitary confinement was considered much much more humane.
They also had no glass on the windows (just bars) and copious skylights as the fresh air (even in the dead of winter) was considered salubrious for their health (although without showers and proper sanitation, open air certainly helped with the stench.
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They also do “Terror Behind the Walls” around Halloween. With zombies and stuff. And there’s Mugshots Coffee across the street. Cool place.
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Excellent piece which makes me want to visit this prison for the history and the contemporary use of a very old place to tell a story of today. Well done!
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