Grantee Cohort Fall 2018
Location Philadelphia
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an active prison from 1829-1971, and served as a model for more than 300 prisons built worldwide. After being closed for two decades, the facility reopened in 1994 as a museum and historic site. Today Eastern State Penitentiary is known for its ambitious, arts-based interpretations of contemporary issues of mass incarceration.
Eastern State Penitentiary is in the midst of a five-year strategic plan and capital campaign to increase its capacity to promote educational programs that foster empathy, humanize people impacted by mass incarceration, and include the perspectives of those involved in the criminal justice system. The grant will support the planning of Eastern’s capital plan, which will include a larger visitor center with additional exhibitions and interactive experiences for visitors before they enter the historic site.
