Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Records: Prison Service Committee (1958-1976)
Scope and Contents
Records include minutes of the Prison Service Committee of Southern New Jersey, and its predecessor, Friends Prison Service Committee (to 1968), staff records, reports, financial and personnel records, and publications/projects files.
Records of both Committees after 1968 may also be found in the records of the Meeting for Social Concerns which was established by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in 1969 to to make its structure more responsive to the problems of urban America. The Prison Service Committee (renamed the Committee on Criminal Justice) and the Prison Service Committee of Southern New Jersey were subordinated to the Meeting For Social Concerns.
Organization: The collection is divided into the following series:
- 1. Minutes and Agenda
- 2. Correspondence
- 3. Finance & Personnel
- 4. Publications & Projects
- 5. Miscellaneous
Dates
- Creation: 1958-1975
Creator
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Prison Service Committee (1958-1969) (Organization)
Limitations on Accessing the Collection
Access to Series 3, Finance & Personnel, is restricted. Please contact Curator for details.
Copyright and Rights Information
Copyright has not been assigned to the Repositories. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Repositories as the holder(s) of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.
Biographical / Historical
In 1958, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting formed a Prison Service Committee out of a group of Quakers doing prison visiting as the Committee on Personal Work With Offenders; Mona E. Darnell was its first Chair. In 1963, a one-to-one prison visiting program was organized, involving members of monthly meetings. The Prison Service Committee of Southern New Jersey was begun in 1964/65 as a subcommittee of the original Prison Service Committee. It focused its activities on the reform of female and juvenile justice. The group developed a successful Friendly Visitors Program, staffed by volunteers, and a volunteer Probation Counselor Program. It was also involved in lobbying efforts, a Speakers Bureau, and published a newsletter, "No Bars Hold." Funding of the Prision Service Committee of Southern New Jersey was gradually phased out by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, ending in 1975/76.
Extent
6.5 Linear Feet (11 boxes)
Language
English
Overview
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Prison Service Committee of Southern New Jersey was organized in the mid 1960s. It focused its activities on the reform of female and juvenile justice. Members of the Committee developed a successful Friendly Visitors Program, staffed by volunteers, and a volunteer Probation Counselor Program. The Committee was also involved in lobbying efforts, maintained a speakers' bureau, and published a newsletter, "No Bars Hold." Records include minutes of the Prison Service Committee of Southern New Jersey and its predecessor, Prison Service Committee, staff records, reports, financial and personnel records, and publications/projects files.
Physical Location
This collection is stored at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Deposit, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Charles Peterson), 11/1990, 10/1991
Separated Materials
Other records of the Prison Services Committee of Southern New Jersey may be found with the records of the Meeting for Social Concerns, RG2/Phy/758
Subject
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Prison Service Committee (1958-1969) (Organization)
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Prison Service Committee of Southern New Jersey (Organization)
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Committee on Criminal Justice (Organization)
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Prison Service Committee (1958-1969) (Organization)
- Title
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Records: Prison Service Committee (1958-1976)
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Quaker Meeting Records at Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections and Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
