Strategic Plan

Eastern State Penitentiary has a fascinating history and complicated narrative that can be catalyzed to engage a nation in the discussion of criminal justice reform. 

We're in a pivotal moment. We have a unique opportunity to build out our mission with new vigor and momentum to address key needs for our institution and society. 

We’re proud to introduce our 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, which will guide our investment of time and resources for the next five years. It represents more than an outline of our goals; it's a plan to guide our journey forward into our next chapter of growth. 

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 
From now through 2029, we will invest time and resources in the following areas where we have identified important opportunities for impact: 

1. REIMAGINE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE 
We will transform the visitor experience to be more cohesive, accessible, and engaging. By enhancing physical amenities, updating exhibits, and integrating digital and interactive elements that appeal to different ways of learning, we will offer a cohesive and enriched experience that invites diverse visitors to explore the site’s history and mission in innovative and visitor-centered ways, both in person and online. 

2. ADVANCE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF ESPHS 
We are committed to preserving and interpreting this historic site with care and integrity. Preservation efforts will honor the site's unique multilayered history, educating visitors on its historical, social, and architectural significance and reinforcing our mission to steward for future generations. 

3. EXPAND OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 
We will serve as a catalyst for economic mobility and reentry support for returning citizens, providing pathways to sustainable, fair-wage employment through programs like the Preservation Trades Center (PTC) and the LEAD Fellowship. We aim to be a model of fair-chance employment, workforce development, and community connections, expanding opportunities in the preservation and union trades, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. 

4. SUPPORT LEARNING THROUGH JUSTICE EDUCATION 
We will become a recognized voice in criminal justice education, exploring the evolution of the U.S. justice system and its impacts. Through innovative exhibits, public dialogues, educational programs and classroom tools, we will convene experts, justice-impacted individuals, youth, and the public to foster a deeper understanding of the evolution and impacts of the criminal justice system and criminal justice reform, with our focus always turned towards human dignity and justice. 

5. ENHANCE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY 
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is a national treasure that preserves this powerful site of the nation's first penitentiary and presents the history and origins of the criminal justice reform movement as a vital part of the American experiment in democracy. Advancing organizational stability will allow us to preserve, grow, and strengthen the impact of this unique site. 

Learn more! You can download our full strategic plan here.