Comments on: ArtsWeek: The Eye of God http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/ Think. It ain't illegal yet... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:48:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: DawninDenver http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72806 DawninDenver Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:53:50 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72806 These photos gave me goosebumps. Really stunning. These photos gave me goosebumps. Really stunning.

]]> By: kelly http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72782 kelly Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:41:16 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72782 as a side note - my favorite thing about ESP? since it closed in 1972, there are former inmates who are still alive and well and every year (in April, i think) Eastern STate has an Alumni Day - BBQ in the prison yard, etc - and the living former inmates and former guards and such come and talk about the place - the guide we had this last time told us that many of them love to take you to their old cells and tell you stories. so. mst go for alumni day. must. (and thanks, everyone, for stopping by. be sure to go to the ESP website for the actual history and tons of visitors photos in the gallery. i swear it is impossible *not* to take good photos in thtis place.) as a side note – my favorite thing about ESP? since it closed in 1972, there are former inmates who are still alive and well and every year (in April, i think) Eastern STate has an Alumni Day – BBQ in the prison yard, etc – and the living former inmates and former guards and such come and talk about the place – the guide we had this last time told us that many of them love to take you to their old cells and tell you stories.

so. mst go for alumni day. must.

(and thanks, everyone, for stopping by. be sure to go to the ESP website for the actual history and tons of visitors photos in the gallery. i swear it is impossible *not* to take good photos in thtis place.)

]]> By: Dr. Slammy http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72779 Dr. Slammy Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:26:02 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72779 Unintended consequences, indeed. I doubt this model did much to further the goal of rehabilitating the criminal. It did aplenty in the way of punishment, though. I'd love to see the recidivism rates for those who survived it.... Unintended consequences, indeed. I doubt this model did much to further the goal of rehabilitating the criminal. It did aplenty in the way of punishment, though.

I’d love to see the recidivism rates for those who survived it….

]]> By: Lex http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72778 Lex Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:07:15 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72778 That's exactly what happened, Russ. At the time, crimes were punished by, well, punishment. The Quaker idea was to build a place of penance where criminals could heal their spirits and reform. (which neglects the part of the ideal that it be voluntary) They tyranny of unintended consequences has left us with the Quaker penitentiary model with solitary confinement reserved for special penitence situations. Our recidivism rates suggest that the idea doesn't work, even toned down from the original vision. That’s exactly what happened, Russ. At the time, crimes were punished by, well, punishment. The Quaker idea was to build a place of penance where criminals could heal their spirits and reform. (which neglects the part of the ideal that it be voluntary) They tyranny of unintended consequences has left us with the Quaker penitentiary model with solitary confinement reserved for special penitence situations.

Our recidivism rates suggest that the idea doesn’t work, even toned down from the original vision.

]]> By: Mike Sheehan http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72777 Mike Sheehan Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:05:19 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72777 Great shots, Kelly. Guest us more often! Great shots, Kelly. Guest us more often!

]]> By: Russ Wellen http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72775 Russ Wellen Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:48:59 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72775 Stunning photos. Too bad the solitary resulted in the psychotic breaks to which Lex alluded. The Quakers must have intended, by the way they built or had it built, and through the solitary and silence, for it to be a monastery-like environment. In hopes the inmates would undergo metamorphosis into monks. Stunning photos. Too bad the solitary resulted in the psychotic breaks to which Lex alluded. The Quakers must have intended, by the way they built or had it built, and through the solitary and silence, for it to be a monastery-like environment. In hopes the inmates would undergo metamorphosis into monks.

]]> By: Lex http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72767 Lex Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:01:25 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72767 Amazing photographs. I've been there and concur that it's one of the more powerful (in a dreadful way) places one can visit. IIRC, it had indoor plumbing before the White House...necessary for the solitary confinement. That was the problem, Slammy, most everyone went crazy rather than being reformed. It seems that it won't be going anywhere either. Though the land it sits on is valuable, the cost of razing the prison exceeds the worth of the property...the outside walls are Medieval fortress thick. Trivial note: the prison scenes in 12 Monkeys were filmed at Eastern State Pen Amazing photographs. I’ve been there and concur that it’s one of the more powerful (in a dreadful way) places one can visit.

IIRC, it had indoor plumbing before the White House…necessary for the solitary confinement. That was the problem, Slammy, most everyone went crazy rather than being reformed.

It seems that it won’t be going anywhere either. Though the land it sits on is valuable, the cost of razing the prison exceeds the worth of the property…the outside walls are Medieval fortress thick. Trivial note: the prison scenes in 12 Monkeys were filmed at Eastern State Pen

]]> By: Dawn http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72764 Dawn Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:36:53 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72764 This leaves me breathless - it's staggering to imagine being left in this space. Beautiful capture of light. This leaves me breathless – it’s staggering to imagine being left in this space. Beautiful capture of light.

]]> By: Dr. Slammy http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2009/10/23/artsweek-the-eye-of-god/comment-page-1/#comment-72762 Dr. Slammy Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:27:16 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/?p=12296#comment-72762 Just a staggering series, Kelly. I try and imagine not only the place, but the enforced silence. I can't fathom how anybody entering that place could last more than a week with his (I assume these were men only?) sanity intact. Just a staggering series, Kelly. I try and imagine not only the place, but the enforced silence. I can’t fathom how anybody entering that place could last more than a week with his (I assume these were men only?) sanity intact.

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