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1/12 Hi everyone! I’m Annie Anderson, Manager of Research here at Eastern State. I’m taking over ESP’s Twitter to lead you in a discussion about incarcerated youth at the penitentiary and juvenile prisons today. Follow along and tweet your question with the hashtag #HiddenESP.
2/12 At least 850 children (aged 11 to 17) served time at Eastern State Penitentiary throughout the prison’s history. #HiddenESP
3/12 There was no juvenile justice system during Eastern State’s early years. Reformatories provided “moral education” and work for white children who broke the law. Black and biracial children—and some white youths considered “incorrigible”—were sent to prison. #HiddenESP
4/12 Mary Ash was just 11 years old when she arrived at the prison in 1876 to serve an arson sentence. She contracted tuberculosis and died at Eastern State at age 13. We commissioned @RussellCraig17 to create this sketch of Mary since we don’t have any photos of her. #HiddenESP
5/12 Young people served time for the same crimes as adults: robbery, assault, and even murder. Joseph Scattergood, 17, was convicted of assault & attempted robbery. #HiddenESP
6/12 In the early 1900s, detention facilities designed for children became common. Reformatories added accommodations for children of color but remained racially segregated. Young people were still sent to Eastern State, but their overall numbers declined. #HiddenESP
7/12 Essie Pollett, 17, arrived at ESP in 1906 with an assault sentence. She was 3 months pregnant. She gave birth at ESP and kept her infant for 6 months. A fellow prisoner, paroled before Pollett, took the infant and cared for the baby until Pollett was released. #HiddenESP
8/12 Wilmer Jackson, 13, was convicted of killing a man in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park during a robbery. At least one newspaper reported that Wilmer’s confession was coerced. He and a 15-year-old accomplice each received a 10 to 20 year sentence. #HiddenESP
9/12 Eastern State officials tried to separate young people from the adult population. Cellblock 14, opened in 1927, was designated as a block for young and first-time offenders. #HiddenESP
10/12 The number of incarcerated youth in the U.S. has fallen dramatically in recent years. Still, according to @PrisonPolicy, there are 48,000 children held in confinement—in group homes, detention centers, and prisons—on any given day. What is life like for them? #HiddenESP
11/12 Many youth advocates and court officials agree that offenses specific to young people—skipping school, curfew violations, underage drinking—shouldn’t be considered “criminal” issues but rather social issues. Why do you think young people break the law? #HiddenESP
12/12 Thanks for joining me today as we uncovered stories of incarcerated youth at Eastern State. I enjoyed your thoughtful questions & insightful comments. Please join me next Wednesday when I’ll be discussing LGBTQ prisoners. See you then! #HiddenESP
