What is the Graterford Archive?
The Graterford Archive will share the history of creative leadership that emerged from the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Graterford [open from 1929 to 2018]. This digital archive will be developed and activated through community practice, including oral history and storytelling workshops, installations, and art-making collaborations with justice-impacted families. The project is led by the Graterford Diaspora in collaboration with Haverford College faculty and staff.
This archive is not just a collection of stories; it is a tool for education and advocacy to find solutions to the urgent crises and misconceptions surrounding prisons, rooted in the lived-experiences of the Graterford Diaspora and the history of SCI Graterford. We aim to empower all contributors and users of the archive to address the conditions faced by incarcerated individuals and people under state supervision in Pennsylvania and beyond.
Please see our website: https://graterfordarchive.org/
How do we use this LibGuide?
Since the Graterford Archive is still under development, this LibGuide serves as a supplemental guide to Graterford's history, offering visitors knowledge of key people, places, events, organizations, programs, and more. By compiling this information in one place, this LibGuide allows researchers, historians, and community members to better understand the legacy of SCI-Graterford and the experiences of those impacted by it.
Ultimately, this digital bibliography aims to support deeper preparation and future engagement with the Graterford Archive, while also uplifting ongoing efforts to challenge mass incarceration through historical understanding.
What is the Graterford Diaspora?
The Graterford Diaspora refers to the community of individuals connected to Graterford prison, including currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, friends, and supporters, and those who volunteered and worked within the prison system. We recognize the complex relationships and shared responsibilities that exist within the prison environment, and we see the potential for transformative dialogue towards repair, reform, and healing.
Reckoning with the term "prison diaspora" highlights the lived experiences, stories, and networks formed by people harmed by incarceration, to emphasize the importance of maintaining connection, sharing narratives, and advocating for justice. The “Graterford Diaspora” utilizes this methodology to elevate our concern for our local diaspora in connection with broader prison diasporas, encompassing all those affected by the prison industrial complex worldwide.
Mission:
Our mission is to create an inclusive platform that reflects the interconnectedness of our humanity and our shared struggles for freedom. We join the movement against the dehumanizing practices of the prison industrial complex with diverse movements for racial, environmental, economic, education, disability, immigration, reproductive, and LGBTQ+ justice to build solidarity and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Values:
● Equitable, Representative Leadership: Leveraging the resources of our partner organizations and institutions, the Graterford Archive is committed to the people who come from the communities affected by the carceral system.
● Empowerment: Fostering community power through exhibitions, events, art, education, and support systems.
● Engagement: Facilitating workshops and courses that connect the Graterford diaspora, Haverford College students and faculty, and policymakers and advocates for change.
● Accessibility: Creating a dynamic, user-friendly archive that allows for continuous contributions and updates.
Photographs (Series# 15.176); RG 15, Department of Justice State Correctional Institute, Graterford Records, 1933 - 2015. Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg.
