REFORM: A PLAY explores a few of the issues regarding the American prison system and I created this site to give people more information if they feel motivated to learn more. 

The play concentrates on four key issues regarding imprisonment in America.

I. THE ORIGINS OF REFORMATION relating to a Quaker-inspired system of isolation, with labor.
II. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
III. THE POPULATION INCREASE starting in 1980s
IV. PRIVATE CORPORATIONS USING PRISON LABOR

I. The Origins of Reformation 
For this, a visit to the Eastern State Penitentiary Museum in Philadelphia will inform you quickly and their general history is here.
 
II. Solitary Confinement: 
Alexis deTocqueville's opinion,  amongst others in his time,  thought that complete solitary confinement in prison is a form of torture.
Amnesty International has many articles on the subject and campaigns, here are a few links:
Solitary Confinement Conditions in California Prisoners
Solitary Confinement REFORM Act - 2014
Here's a great site: Solitary Watch
HuffingtonPost article about a recent congressional bill regrading solitary confinement.
Here's that bill: 
PBS is showing a documentary called Solitary Nation

 

II. Population increase 

    Here's a good article from Justice Policy Institute. 

    And another

    Another article regarding the economics of imprisonment

    

III. Private Corporations using Prison Labor

      Article #1 from Global Research site

      Another article-#2 from Alternet 

      Article #3  from The Nation

      Here is an article with the list of corporations that use prison labor

      WSJ article- Potatoes in Idaho

       Prison Labor act information

      Boycott campaign of products that use prison labor

      Article about Unicor also from Global Research

      The Ashurst-Sumners /Hawes Cooper Act  (what Corp. Uncle Sam calls the prison labor act)

      Here is the research book I used for the play if interested