Individuals in ESP spent much of their time in their cells, or in their own reflection yards, reading 
the bible, praying, and always in silence. The solitude was also a way to serve penance. Shortly after the 
implementation of ESP, another prison was built in New York, in 1819, named the Auburn prison. This 
prison would become the leader of the second main prison style, the Auburn prison system. Many of the 
facets of the ESP were in the Auburn, save one. Auburn utilized a congregate system, which meant that (still 
in silence) the inmates would gather to do tasks or work. 
Prison Growth in the United States 
Proliferation1900-2000 
This concept of labor eventually replaced the ideals of constant solitude. The congregate system took hold as 
the dominant model for many prisons, and many states began to model their prisons on the Auburn prison. 
Notably, Auburn was also the prison where the first death by electric chair was executed in 1890. Today, 
there are roughly 1,700 State or municipal prisons in the United States. As the images demonstrate, it is clear 
that many of the prisons in the U.S. have been built more recently. 
Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System
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