Joan Gauker founded a prisoner advocacy newsletter called Graterfriends. It was named after the Graterford prison in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Now it serves the whole state. For many years, at great personal expense Mrs. Gauker edited and published her paper. She and her newsletter became highly respected, trusted and admired. All over Pennsylvania prisoners avidly looked forward to receiving their monthly issue. It was hope and light, encouragement and news. When Joan Gauker retired a few years ago, she made a serious error. She give Graterfriends to the Pennsylvania Prison Society. There was a time when the Prison Society was a valued and venerable organization. Sadly, those days are long gone! The Prison Society has literally sold-out to the imprisonment industry. Graterfriends has become irrelevant, an apologist for the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment. Worse, the Prison Society and Graterfriends have become collaborators in imprisonment propaganda. Along with many other prisoners, I personally, regret the decline of Graterfriends. It's now little more than a mouthpiece for the Department of Imprisonment. It is no longer the bright hope, the voice of Pennsylvania's mute prisoners. Under the editorship of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, Graterfriends has become a republisher of others' articles and an organ through which official flunkies excuse and justify their abuses. The Prison Society no longer struggles to benefit prisoners. The Pennsylvania Prison Society was bribed by the imprisonment department. The Society accepted "contracts" and money from the Department. He who "pays the piper calls the tune." No prisoners any longer believe or trust the Society or the once sterling Graterfriends - a very sad development. I hasten to add that some of the so-called "visitors" still do great work. "Visitors" are Prison Society members who travel to visit prisoners in prisons. Some of them are remarkably fine and conscientious people. Some of them do extraordinary and self-sacrificing work. The Prison Society censors the visitors, however. The visitors may not say anything critical of the imprisonment industry or of imprisonment officials. They must kiss-ass and keep quiet. That's the same policy that's been applied to Graterfriends. It kisses the official butt. Shame on Graterfriends and on the Pennsylvania Prison Society. Think of that when it comes time to give donations. Helping the Pennsylvania Prison Society is helping the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment. Rebecca's Bargain Antiques Collectible Vintage Photos Fine Prints - Old Maps Sheet Music - Old Books Elegant Antiques and Collectibles "Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into," words spoken by Oliver Hardy in Laural and Hardy Murder Case, 1930 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the News Items Menu Return to the Main Menu Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.