PENITENCE, EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SOUND AT THE EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY: 1830-1850

Abstract

The Eastern State Penitentiary, located in Philadelphia, was opened for use as a prison in 1829 and closed in 1971. The penitentiary’s early practice of placing all inmates in solitary confinement has often misleadingly been referred to as the “Silent System.” Sounds were present in the penitentiary, but they were carefully controlled and channeled towards the primary goal of the institution: forcing the prisoners to experience true penitence. The sounds that were made audible to the inmates were meant to signal the purpose of their imprisonment. Looms clattered inside cells as inmates were made to weave cloth; alarm bells rang from the central tower, discouraging escape; and perhaps most importantly, the gate clanged shut, symbolizing the permanence of the inmates’ separation from the outside world. My paper reveals that in addition to the manipulation of the inmate’s external soundworld, the prison also attempted to control the sounds inside the inmates’ minds, through encouraging inmates to read the Bible to themselves in their cells. Listening to the Eastern State Penitentiary brings into perspective previously overlooked aspects of the prisoners’ experience at the institution and clarifies how the sonic design of the prison contributed to its goal of reforming the inmates into moral citizens.