It is actually not that unique of its time, rather it was almost customary to have prisoners wear hoods so as to not interact with others during a sentence. Originally, this practice was used in Eastern State Penitentiary in the 1830s and was largely attributed to Dr. Benjamin Rush’s theory of human repentance. It was thought that prisoners would reform and receive penitence if they had minimal human contact, thus the hoods. Here, administrators do not expect repentance, so it is most likely carried out as a tradition.
Hannah Cuesta
Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence?
https://www.biography.com/people/benjamin-rush-9467074