Abstract
Philadelphia from the end of the Revolution until the mid-19th century was known worldwide for its innovations and ideals in the treatment of offenders. This article examines conditions, albeit for limited time periods, when the iconic Walnut Street Jail and Eastern State Penitentiary were sites for parties, drinking, and sexual escapades, which were a far cry from the image projected by officials and reformers. Although in each case the accusations were acutely embarrassing and serious, both institutions weathered them. At Eastern State Penitentiary, a low-ranking woman on the staff was well qualified by her behavior to be the scapegoat, and the unsavory facts concerning the warden and others soon dissipated, with little discernable damage to the image of the prison as an ideal of a new form of treatment for criminals.
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