Year after year a special group returns to Eastern State Penitentiary to enjoy some food, a little new gossip, and a lot of stories of “the old days.” At the Alumni Reunion on May 22, groups of former inmates, guards, staff, and their families once again gathered to share their memories of the building with one another and with visitors.
Like our visitors, I’m often surprised that so many “alumni” choose to return to the penitentiary. On first thought, the penitentiary seems to be an entirely negative space: the scene of many violent acts, a place away from family and friends, where even the staff were locked inside until their time (shift) was up. More than one person has confessed that just being back inside the building makes them feel uncomfortable: as if they feel a repressed panic that they will be once again confined within its impenetrable walls.
However, for many, their time living and working at the penitentiary comprised a large portion of their lives. “The old days” weren’t always good, but they were meaningfully sprinkled with acts of kindness and respect. Many of the friendships formed here lasted for decades and a chance to see one another again is welcome. Others return because it’s a chance to explain part of their life experience to their loved ones. Some might return because they feel a duty to tell the public what prison is really like and how it doesn’t compare to a life on the outside.
I was disappointed when the persistent rain showers worsened and the public question and answer session with the alumni was cut short. I hope that next year will afford another chance to share this event with our visitors and the men and women who lived the history of Eastern State.
Wrote a post about the reunion. Wish I had known sooner. I found out about it on, uwishunu.com.
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