The Jury Is Out

Abstract

Traditional exhibit and tour programming at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site has rarely made successful connections between the building's substantial historic and architectural legacy and current trends and debates surrounding the American criminal justice system. Artists working at the site have encouraged reflection on broader questions of justice, due process and the role of race and poverty in patterns of incarceration. An interpretive planning process has renewed the organization's commitment to make these connections throughout the site's programming. But the goal remains challenging, and work on a small prototype exhibit triggered a series of professional and ethical dilemmas that continue to play out. While the exhibit was intended to encourage visitors to question their assumptions about prisons and correctional policies, the staff and board now find their own assumptions tested.

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