The transformation of carceral practices in Pennsylvania: from William Penn's Great Law to the Penitentiary House at Walnut Street Prison

The article analyzes the transformation of carceral practices in Pennsylvania (1682–1790) context changes criminal laws: from formal consolidation Code Laws 1682 reformatories with hard labor to organization Philadelphia 1790 first penitentiary house a regime solitary confinement.
 It is defined that before states gained independence, correctional houses, if they functioned some cities, then as institutions forced and purpose correction was not them. Revolutionary War for Independence had decisive impact on reform penal system, which resulted adoption state constitution, contained prescription revise system. Criminal Law 1786 established main punishment serious crimes imprisonment combined labour, but did change any way, public labour recognized ineffective.
 actors further search model serving sentence were members Society Alleviating Miseries Public Prisons. steps reformers 1788-1790 aimed at introducing legislative field execution punishments an emphasis confinement based practical experience England prison theory. As result Society's initiatives, 1790, An Act laws adopted, elements sentencing unremitted solitude order correct criminals prevent new crimes. For this purpose, it prescribed build separate building single cells yard Walnut Street Prison detention dangerous criminals. law mechanism control supervision prison, well regulated principles sentence, largely borrowed English workhouses.