It is 1787 in the home of Benjamin Franklin where a group of powerful Philadelphians held in high esteem have gathered to deliberate a very pressing matter. They are having a conversation about the current prison institutions established in America and Europe. It seems that institutions in both countries are known for their appalling conditions. Benjamin Franklin and his colleagues set out to change the course of prison history. Their plan is to create a prison system based entirely on reform and enlightenment rather than punishment and misery. They believe that prisoners should repent and seek God to help them learn from their mistakes, hence the name penitentiary. After many long years, the men finally achieve success, and in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary opened. America was in a time of reform, which was evident by the opening of such a diverse prison. But no matter how much Eastern State Penitentiary claims to be against torture and harsh conditions, it was a prison after all. From the outside, Eastern State Penitentiary looked beautiful and sensational, but what happened inside those imposing walls was something completely different. Life in Eastern State Penitentiary was unspeakable because of the cellular life, illnesses, and treatments that inmates had to endure. Aside from the burden of being in prison, the inmates of the Eastern State Penitentiary had yet another downfall, the endless terrible cellular living conditions they had to endure. Initially, each cell housed only one prisoner and was equipped with central heating, running water, a flush toilet and a skylight (Eastern State). The public was amazed at this fact because Andrew Jackson, the then President of the United States, was not even a... means of paper... the floor plan of the building or the recognition of the various guards (Woodham, Internet). In 1913 the Board of Mental Health intervened and advised the penitentiary to change its policies regarding punishment (Eerie History). Ministry of Health officials believed that the methods used to reform prisoners were not reforming them but doing exactly the opposite. These methods were found to cause extreme anger, deep depression, and actually made inmates much more likely to commit another crime (Disturbing Story). The doctors at Eastern State Penitentiary responded to these accusations with absurd excuses for why the inmates went crazy (Eastern State). This fact alone provides evidence that prison officials knew what they were doing was wrong and therefore made faulty excuses to cover up the mistreatment of inmates..