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Eastern State will be closed on New Years Day (Thursday, January 1). We’ll be open and operating under normal business hours on all other days this week.

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.

Justice 101
All Ages

Justice 101: The Civil Rights Movement: Finding Justice and Calling on the Declaration of Independence

Thursday, January 01 - Saturday, January 31, 2026

All Day

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Join us for a compelling conversation on the history of civil rights movements inside American prisons. In this discussion, we'll examine how incarcerated people have organized, advocated, and fought for their fundamental rights and human dignity against a system designed for control and dehumanization. 

We will explore key moments, movements, and figures highlighting the struggles for religious freedom, due process, and humane conditions that have fundamentally shaped the fabric of our nation. This is a history of reasserting agency, challenging injustice, and the enduring quest for liberation within the country's most restricted spaces. 

Moderated by Kerry Sautner, this conversation will feature leading voices in prison history and carceral justice. Together, they will challenge us to reconsider the meaning of civil rights and the history of the movement behind bars.

About the Panelists:

We strive to make the penitentiary and our site, programs, and exhibits accessible to all visitors. Click here to learn more about accessibility and accommodations at ESPHS.

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Interested in more Justice 101 events?

Justice 101: The First Amendment and Incarceration: Natural Right to Freedom of Expression
Justice 101

Justice 101: The First Amendment and Incarceration: Natural Right to Freedom of Expression

Sunday, February 01 - Saturday, February 28, 2026
All Day

Date and details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.

Justice 101: Women and Incarceration
Justice 101

Justice 101: Women and Incarceration

Sunday, March 01 - Tuesday, March 31, 2026
All Day

Date and details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.

Justice 101: To Establish Justice: Reentry and Recidivism
Justice 101

Justice 101: To Establish Justice: Reentry and Recidivism

Wednesday, April 01 - Thursday, April 30, 2026
All Day

Date and details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.

Justice 101: National Historic Preservation: The Power of Place
Justice 101

Justice 101: National Historic Preservation: The Power of Place

Friday, May 01 - Sunday, May 31, 2026
All Day

Date and details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.

Justice 101: The History and Meaning of Juneteenth Today
Justice 101

Justice 101: The History and Meaning of Juneteenth Today

Monday, June 01 - Tuesday, June 30, 2026
All Day

Date and details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.

Justice 101: The History of the Justice System in England and America
Justice 101

Justice 101: The History of the Justice System in England and America

Wednesday, July 01 - Friday, July 31, 2026
All Day

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