Stacy Horn, "Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad, and Criminal in 19th-Century New York" (Algonquin Books, 2019)

This podcast episode from the New Books Network features an interview with Stacey Horne, author of "Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Bad, and Criminal in 19th Century New York." The discussion revolves around Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) and its history as a place where New York City housed its poor, sick, and criminal populations in the 19th century. Horne details the initial reform-minded intentions behind establishing institutions on the island, how these institutions quickly deteriorated due to underfunding and mismanagement, and the horrific conditions that prevailed. The conversation also touches on figures like Reverend French and Josephine Shaw Lowell, highlighting efforts to address the systemic issues and the gradual shift in understanding the relationship between poverty and criminality. The discussion concludes with a reflection on how similar problems persist in contemporary institutions like Rikers Island.