Explain the influence of Quakers on the development of America's prisons.
What will be an ideal response?
The interest of religious groups, such as the Quakers, in prison reform was prompted in part by humanitarian ideals. During this time, called the period of enlightenment, a concerted effort was made to alleviate the harsh punishments and torture that had been the norm. These trends led Pennsylvania to readopt William Penn's code, and in 1787 a group of Quakers led by Benjamin Rush formed the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons. Their aim was to bring some degree of humane and orderly treatment to the growing penal system. Their influence resulted in limiting the use of the death penalty in cases involving treason, murder, rape, or arson. After that, the next step was to reform the institutional system. Under pressure from the Quakers, the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1790 called for the renovation of the prison system. As a result of the renovation, there was a separate wing of Philadelphia's Walnut Street Jail constructed to house convicted felons (except those sentenced to death). The legislation created a state "penitentiary house" and ushered in 10 years of reform and attracted attention worldwide. During this time, the majority of inmates lived together in large common rooms, but Pennsylvania eventually took the radical step of establishing a prison that placed each inmate in a single cell for the duration of their sentence.
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