Graterford Prison Protesters Request Donations for Legal Fees

The seven Decarcerate PA members facing multiple charges related to the Nov. 19 protest at Graterford Prison are asking for help with fines, court costs, and legal fees.

According to the “Help Support the Graterford Seven” donation page, the group is facing up to $10,000 in court costs to fight charges of facing charges of defiant trespass, failure of disorderly persons to disperse upon official order, and persistent disorderly conduct stemming from a Nov. 19 incident at Graterford prison.

The group, which was protesting the expansion of the prison and the priorities of the state for placing prison construction at a higher priority than education, blocked the construction entrance to Graterford with desks and a schoolhouse for over an hour.

The April 10 preliminary hearing in Skippack was continued, according to the organization.

“We were scheduled for a preliminary hearing, but a clerk in the judges office forgot to subpoena DOC employees who were supposed to testify, so the prosecution was not ready to proceed,” the group said on its website.

A new court date is expected at some point in May. In the meantime, supporters of the cause can donate to the group here.