This program is part of Justice 101 — Powered by the Eastern State Center for Justice Education, Justice 101 is 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 online or in-person 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 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.
Justice 101: Reconstruction and the Origins of Modern Incarceration
Sunday, February 01 - Saturday, February 28, 2026
All Day
Date to be confirmed—please check back for updates.
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?
This installment of Justice 101 examines the Reconstruction Era as a pivotal chapter in American legal and social history. This program explores 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. Speakers and additional details to be announced.
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 National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
About the Panelists:
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