How did Eastern State Penitentiary use solitary confinement to try to reform prisoners?

The Eastern State Penitentiary utilized a penal method known as the Pennsylvania system, which was founded on the belief that solitary confinement would foster penitence and encourage true reformation rather than merely serving as punishment.12

By isolating prisoners from the "evil influences" of society and other inmates, reformers—primarily Quakers—hoped to create an environment conducive to inner reflection. To maintain this strict separation, the prison was designed with a radial floor plan where inmates were kept in individual cells and hooded whenever they were moved to prevent them from seeing one another. While prisoners were kept in isolation, they were permitted daily contact with the warden and overseers, and the system was eventually modified to include productive work, such as weaving or shoemaking, to occupy their time.231

Ultimately, this approach proved controversial and impractical as the prison population grew. Critics argued that the practice had deleterious effects on the mental health of inmates, and the system was officially abandoned in 1913.12