Jason R. Carpenter

In ’Howard! 1900 A.D., ’ author and historian Jason R. Carpenter presents the dark days of social welfare history in Rhode Island with this haunting collection of colorized and digitally restored photographs, drawing readers into the depths of institutions such as the Asylum for the Insane, the State Prison, and the Sockanosset School for Boys. Accompanied by the illuminating words of Dr. Henry Aaron Jones, the State Infirmary’s first medical superintendent, the harsh realities of crime and punishment, mental illness, and poverty in early 20th century Rhode Island are laid bare, painting a stark picture of institutional life and the struggle for dignity defining the legacy of the State Institutions at Howard.