Justice 101: From Founding Ideals to the Prisoners’ Rights Revolution
Thursday, December 03, 2026
2:00 - 3:00pm EST
Session is for high school, college level students, teachers, and learners of all ages.
Consider how the prisoners’ rights movement of the 1960s and 70s forced the U.S. and its courts to confront the contradiction between America’s founding ideals—that human beings possess natural, inherent rights that precede government—and the realities of prison life.
Following a century shaped by the “hands-off” doctrine, trace the reemergence of early America’s Enlightenment-era promise in courts and prisons starting with Cooper v. Pate (1964), which helped reopen the courthouse doors to incarcerated people. As legal experts called upon the Eighth Amendment in key cases like Holt v. Sarver and Ruiz v. Estelle, incarcerated people and their allies asserted their inalienable rights through a diverse movement led by religious leaders, Black radical resistance, and other organizing bodies. Their efforts included direct actions such as the Attica Prison Uprising.
Finally, delve into the implications of the 1996 Prison Litigation Reform Act and more recent cases like Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, and consider the continued conflict between the justice system and foundational American principles.
Speakers to be announced.
About the Panelists:
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This program is part of Justice 101, a discussion series that dives into some of the most pressing issues in criminal justice today, through a historical lens and with a focus on civic education. Each program includes interactive elements, expert voices, and opportunities for community dialogue.
This program is part of A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future, a yearlong slate of free, inclusive programs exploring the evolving meanings of liberty and justice in America. A Time for Liberty is made possible with support from civic and cultural partners including the City of Philadelphia, America250PA, Campus250, the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, the Philadelphia City Fund’s 2026 Milestone Grant Fund, supported by PECO, the National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program series, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
