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Softening a Desperate Place


Murals in Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary.

By Dawn Moore

On a recent Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were looking for something fun to do with our daughter Susie and her friend David. It was raining, so plans to stroll the local arboretum were tabled. Susie is an avid advocate for prison reform and delighted to explore historic Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) in Philadelphia. I mostly wanted to see the historic architecture and learn a bit of history in a nice low-key way, without undue challenge to my comfortable suburban mindset.

I wasn’t disappointed in my quest for fascinating architecture, but our first steps inside quickly told me this would be a challenging afternoon. Continue reading “Softening a Desperate Place”

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Fleet Prison Marriages

Fleet Prison marriage
A Fleet Prison marriage. Wikimedia.

Chamber’s Book of Days (1881) is full of fascinating tidbits, some of which concern imprisonment. One is an account of shady marriages conducted by incarcerated clergymen of the Fleet Prison, London.

“The trade was taken up by clerical prisoners living within the Rules of the Fleet, who, having neither cash, character, nor liberty to lose, became the ready instruments of vice, greed, extravagance, and libertinism.” Continue reading “Fleet Prison Marriages”

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Announcing a new design for Captive Faith!

old site
The old Captive Faith site.

Captive Faith has been around for many years, before i-phones and tablets and other mobile devices were in wide use, so it is high time for a redesign.

You’ll find the same great stories, the same inspiring writings and the convenient organization by eras that we had in our old website, but with an updated look. We’re also mobile-friendly now, making it easier to read on the go. Continue reading “Announcing a new design for Captive Faith!”