Eastern State Penitentiary Objection

Catholic Chaplain's Office Restoration.

The Catholic Chaplain's Office is located near the center of Eastern State Penitentiary.  An inmate by the name of Lester Smith painted several murals to demonstrate his faith.  This an example of an inmate that had a successful experience at the penitentiary, based on the original thought that inmates should repent and change their behaviors through experiences behind the walls. The murals are currently going under conservation and are closed off from the public.  Because the murals are an example of a success story that came from ESP, it is very important to me to learn about.  I was also interested in the story of the man who created them

Lester Smith signed the paintings "Paul Martin" in order to keep his identity a secret.  According to the story, his family did not even know that he had been arrested.  It is a really interesting story and it made me wonder what Lester had done to be admitted into the penitentiary.  Also, I was curious as to whether the man had a religious history before he went to Eastern State, or if it his faith had been entirely established during his sentence.  

The museum is dedicated to restoring these murals in order to show them to the public.  It is not yet open for the public, because the condition of the room, and the restoration project is not yet complete.  However, the museum does have a panel describing the project that is in process, and some pictures of the murals.  I personally chose this as my object because I have always had an interest in conservation and preservation.  Also, I am curious to know more about the religious practices that were held at Eastern State and how religion impacted the lives of the inmates.  It is also great to see that an inmate was practicing art while in prison.  Not only is religion a great release, but art can also help people get through tough times.  Lester was requested to paint the murals in the Chaplain's office because he had been found drawing on the walls of his cell.  

I would like to know what other inmates in the penitentiary felt about the painting, and other religious practices that were going on at the time.  There could be negative points of view, or positive, but either way it was a truly great success story of Eastern State.