This is a story of life and death inside Western Penitentiary, also known as "Western Pen" and “The Wall.”  

Thousands of convicted persons through the years have lived and worked in this sprawling 21-acre, high-walled, barb-wired city within the city of Pittsburgh, yet most Pittsburghers would be hard pressed to tell you where it's located.

Considered a model of prison reform when it was built in 1882, Western Pen was finally shuttered in 2017.

Stories of escape, madness, and brutality are part of its legacy.

Presented by DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh / Hosted by Pam Gianni, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh Tour Curator/Board Member.

The DOP Stories series, November 2020 - February 2021, is supported in part by: UPMC, Dollar Bank and The Benter Foundation