An Introduction
The Graterford Archive will share the history of creative leadership that emerged from the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Graterford.
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 currently and formerly incarcerated partners in collaboration with Haverford College faculty and staff.
Photographs (Series# 15.176); RG 15, Department of Justice State Correctional Institute, Graterford Records, 1933 - 2015. Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg.
The Graterford Archive Project at Haverford College will advance three goals:
First:
In consultation with formerly and currently incarcerated partners and others affected by the prison, the project team will collect oral histories and related artifacts illuminating the rare case of SCI-Graterford. These histories will be arranged in an accessible digital archive, preserving the narratives of the Graterford community.
Second:
Through collaboration with Haverford College faculty and students, men formerly incarcerated at Graterford, and the Creative Director Akeil Robertson, the project will engage the public in understanding Graterford’s role in the landscape of mass incarceration. These programs will include courses co-taught by Haverford faculty and incarcerated partners, workshops, arts events, and other community convenings.
Third:
The project will develop a summer seminar for young people impacted by the carceral system, teaching videography, oral history, and interviewing skills to involve them in the documentation process.
How Can a Prison Diaspora Change the World?
An event to launch the Graterford archive and honor featured artist Spel, a legendary visual artist from the Graterford Diaspora who is currently serving life without parole for a crime he did not commit. This gathering will bring together our formerly incarcerated partners, artists, thinkers, family members, policy makers, collaborators, and philanthropists together for an evening-long convening that unpacks and uplifts the significant cultural, creative, and activist contributions of the SCI Graterford community.
If you’d like to learn more, or if you are interested in contributing to the archive, please send an email to info@graterfordarchive.org
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