Will you support Eastern State as we enter a new era in the remarkable history of this powerful place?
Keep reading to learn more or make a gift now!
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site has arrived at a moment of transformation for the stories we tell, the communities we engage, and the impact we strive to make. Eastern State has always been more than a relic of the past; it is a living, breathing space where history, education, and justice converge.
Today, I ask you to help write the next chapter with a generous gift to Eastern State as we begin a new era in the remarkable history of this powerful place. We are guided by a bold new Strategic Plan, grounded in five key priorities:
- Reimagining the Visitor Experience – Making the site more engaging, inclusive, and interactive.
- Advancing Historic Preservation – Protecting the landmark and making it more accessible.
- Expanding Workforce Development – Providing meaningful employment and pathways to careers.
- Deepening Justice Education – Engaging students, educators, and communities in dialogue.
- Strengthening Organizational Capacity – Ensuring financial sustainability and mission-driven growth.
And, we've launched a new brand to reflect this new era. Our rebranding is about clarity, identity, and purpose: Eastern State is a platform for change, a space where the past informs the present, and where conversations about justice, fairness, and dignity are encouraged and necessary.
Thanks to supporters like you, Eastern State has evolved into a national program of civic dialogue and justice education. We've expanded our programming and exhibitions on criminal justice, made them more inclusive and accessible, and welcomed new voices-especially those with lived experience with our justice system-into our planning and decision-making processes.
Beginning later this year, Eastern State will join many others in Philadelphia and our nation to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, one of history's most important and dramatic turning points. We have chosen this moment to launch our new mission. Eastern State has a unique story to tell about the forging of our democracy, because the deep concerns that created both this penitentiary and our criminal justice system began with the same people who assembled the building blocks of our nation .
To do this, we are rooted in our past: the iconic Big Graph, which since 2014 has charted the explosive growth in mass incarceration; Prisons Today, which since 2016 has traced the evolution of America's modern justice system; and Hidden Lives Illuminated, which in 2019 projected animated films made by incarcerated men and women onto our outer wall. Building on that foundation, Eastern State is a place to create futures. We've strengthened workforce development efforts through the Preservation Trades Center and LEAD Fellowship, providing meaningful fair chance employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. More than 100 people have found an opportunity for new beginnings through these programs; and our goal is to further expand and impact more lives.
New programs like Justice 101 and the Collaboratory for Justice Education empower students and educators across the country to explore justice through lived experience and historical context, reaching more than 2,000 people since 2024. Through all of this, we've remained steadfast in our commitment to historic preservation, ensuring this site stands not only as a place of reflection, but as a catalyst for learning and change. Our strategic plan is more than a roadmap-it's an invitation. Eastern State belongs to all of us, and we hope you will join us.
We are excited to seize this pivotal moment to pursue our vision. This fall, we will begin a year of panels, community festivals, educator workshops, pop-up exhibits and public programs to engage people across the nation and from around the world. We will offer the site as a place of welcome for visitors exploring all that Philadelphia has to offer.
You can help us make this plan a reality. Will you consider making a gift today to launch Eastern State into a new era?
When Eastern State first opened, our nation was just slightly more than fifty years old and still grappling with fundamental questions - just as we are two centuries later. With your help, we can spend this milestone year bringing people together in dialogue and learning. Thank you for considering my request and for believing in the power of history to shape a more just future. I hope you'll join us, and I look forward to sharing more exciting plans with you soon.
Sincerely,
Kerry Sautner, Ed.D.
President and CEO
