Long-Term Memories from Visiting a Prison Museum

Abstract This study sought to determine the long-term memories from a visit to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. Unstructured phone interviews were conducted with participants two years after their visit. Results suggest that participants could recall both episodic and semantic memories. They recalled a visceral, emotional, and memorable experience. Furthermore, they learned about, reflected upon, and shared knowledge they gained of contemporary and controversial criminal justice issues. The implication of these results is that other prison museums can likely engage visitors in meaningful discussion of contemporary issues.