Reconstruction and the Origins of Modern Incarceration

Following the abolition of slavery, the United States entered a period of profound constitutional, social, and institutional transformation. How did the nation seek to rebuild its legal and civic structures after the Civil War, and in what ways did these efforts shape the development of modern systems of punishment and confinement?

Join the Eastern State Center for Justice Education for this installment of Justice 101, which examines the Reconstruction Era as a pivotal chapter in American legal and social history. We are joined by Ashley Jordan, Ph.D., President & CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia; Reggie Shuford, J.D., President & CEO of The Independence Foundation; and Manisha Sinha, Ph.D., Draper Chair in American History, University of Connecticut, to explore how postwar reforms, shifting labor systems, and emerging state and local policies influenced patterns of incarceration and social order in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Moderated by Dr. Kerry Sautner, President and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, together, they will consider how Reconstruction-era decisions continue to inform the structure and function of the American justice system today, offering historical context for understanding its evolution over time.