It’s intended as mind-numbing physical punishment to help convicts rehabilitate themselves into productive members of society. The hard labor of it all was supposed to help mold the minds of criminals, as well as be more humane than conventional torture devices. Convicts would be forced to walk on an “endless staircase” all day without break. The pointlessness of the endeavor could be as mentally draining as the actual activity was physically demanding. Luckily, a safety rail was installed for the prisoners to hold onto.