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”