By Daniel S. and Jacob S. The trip to Eastern State Penitentiary was interesting because we learned a lot of things from this modern artifact. For example, we never knew that Al Capone was imprisoned there. He was a dangerous gangster in the 1920s and 1930s, and he also sold illegal alcohol. The wall around the prison was 30 feet tall, 8 feet thick, and was sunk 10 feet into the ground, to make it difficult for prisoners to escape. The Penitentiary looked like a castle on the outside, but on the inside it looked like a church because the builders wanted the prisoners to repent their sins. (This was the first penitentiary—a place for repentance, not just a prison.) Something we would like to know about Eastern State Penitentiary is an estimate of how many prisoners were there. From when it opened in 1854 to when it closed in 1991 we think there were at least 5,000 people. We suggest the next 6th grade should definitely go on this trip because we liked it so much!!! |
