In 1978, after joining the Pennsylvania Prison Society, I volunteered to serve as their “official visitor” to the Carbon County Prison. At the time, the prison was located on West Broadway in Jim Thorpe. It is now the Old Jail Museum—but at the time it was a crowded facility.

At the jail, the prisoners had many issues. We used to visit the prisoners in a small space between a secure location and the part where they were living when they were’t locked in their cells. Later, we were permitted to go inside the main block to visit them where they gathered most of the time.

The Carbon County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society was started about 1975 by Jeanette Slaw. Meetings were held at Trinity Lutheran Church and other locations. Jeanette Slaw and Tucker Irvin went to the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s main office in Philadelphia to get our Carbon County chapter formed. Jeanette Slaw was the first convener.

Members of our chapter, including Rae Grow, Jeanette Slaw, and Tucker Irvin, visited prisoners at the jail—we were allowed to visit once a week. Later on, others joined the chapter as “official visitors.” Stanley Haupt joined Pennsylvania Prison Society and later became convener of the Carbon County Chapter. Stanley visited the prisoners at the old jail. He resigned in 1994 because of his increased workload as Shepherd House Director.

I became convener of the Carbon County Chapter, and I am still convener at the present time. Michael Hackman and James Smith were our past volunteers. John Hargryea is our present director.

At the old jail in Jim Thorpe, they had a newsletter—Lock and Key. Prisoners wrote articles and submitted artwork for the newsletters. The purpose was to sharpen their writing skills.

We had Christmas and pizza parties at the old jail for one or two years. We also have Christmas and pizza parties for the prisoners at the Nesquehoning facility.

Prisoners had problems with outdated law books at the old jail. The problem is continuing at the correctional facility in Nesquehoning.

The 130-year-old historic jail ceased its operations as a prison on Jan. 23, 1995, with the prisoners transferring to the new Carbon County Correction Facility in Nesquehoning.

The Nesquehoning facility holds 174 inmates in maximum, medium and minimum security units. There are male and female units at the prison. I have permission to go inside the various units to visit the prisoners. The jail is overcrowded at the present time.

Some people in the community feel the inmates have too many comforts in jail, and it’s a surprise when they learn that the prisoners have to pay for everything they get at the jail. They pay for their housing, food, stamps, paper, envelopes, etc.

Most of the prisoners do not have funds to purchase items in the commissary at the jail. Their families have a difficult time providing funds to give to them.

The Pennsylvania Prison Society has given them clothes to wear to court, and coats when they go home in the winter. Most of them come to jail with only the clothing they were wearing when they were arrested.

We bring puzzles and greeting cards to them. We brought shoes for needy prisoners when we had funds to do it. At one time, we received funds from the United Way, but no longer. We purchased Scrabble, dictionaries, pens and tablets for them. The prisoners appreciate what we do for them.

I try to help them in other ways, too. I call their attorneys and families when they ask me. I try to go to the jail once a week and visit the prisoners in their units. There is also a work release unit there. I do my best to help the prisoners as a convener of the Carbon County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society

Josephine Rhyder