History Of Pennsylvania In Pictures

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Photograph of a hooded inmate at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania which is considered the world’s first true “Penitentiary.” In order to encourage penitence or true regret in the hearts of criminals, inmates would spend their entire sentence in solitary confinement. On the rare occasion when an inmate left his cell, a hood was placed over his head to ensure his identity would remain anonymous. Ideally, no inmate would ever see the face of another inmate.