In 1787, the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons met in Benjamin Franklin’s home and came up with the plan for the first modern prison system. Instead of punishing criminals, they encouraged the prisoners to ask for forgiveness or “penitence,” so they called it a penitentiary. The prisoners were kept in solitary confinement, and when they weren’t subject to this inhumane treatment, they worked, prayed, and reflected on their behavior without contact or communication with other prisoners. Even when they were together, they were forced to wear masks so they
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