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Pennsylvania

Political repression plays out state by state — shaped by local institutions, prosecutors, and movements for defense. These are the documented political prisoners and cases the census holds for Pennsylvania.

836Documented
12In custody
544Released
4Awaiting trial

Eras of repression in Pennsylvania

Where Pennsylvania’s entries fall across the census’s historical eras.

1930s 257 1700s 79 1910s 76 1920s 72 1960s 69 1800s 59

Documented cases

836 entries in the census — every one stays in the record, whether the case is open or closed.

F
Fletcher Mills
Fletcher Mills challenged federal detention in Pennsylvania after authorities sought his removal to Alabama un...
L
Liane Norman
Liane Norman and Molly Rush actually served jail time September 16–22, 1983 rather than paying fines after a P...
C
Clinton Moody
The July 1975 Black Community News Letter, Awakening of a Dragon, individually listed Clinton Moody in its "Wr...
R
Richard Stewart
The July 1975 Black Community News Letter, Awakening of a Dragon, individually listed Richard Stewart in its "...
F
Fred Phillipi
Fred Phillipi was among four Brandywine Peace Community protesters arrested January 30, 1984 after an antinucl...
A
Angele Ellis
Angele Ellis was individually named among five Rockwell protesters in Pittsburgh who actually served four “wor...
D
Don Fisher
Don Fisher was individually named among five Rockwell protesters in Pittsburgh who actually served four “worki...
H
Helena Frey
Helena Frey was individually named among five Rockwell protesters in Pittsburgh who actually served four “work...
T
Todd May
Todd May was individually named among five Rockwell protesters in Pittsburgh who actually served four “working...
D
Diamonds Pappalas
Diamonds Pappalas, printed in that form, was a Greek worker held in jail by the United States Department of La...
J
John Topolcsamyr
John Topolcsamyr, printed with minor surname variants, was a Hungarian worker and Workers (Communist) Party me...
M
Meenal Raval
Released
Meenal Raval opposed the invasion of Iraq and participated in the March 20, 2003 protest at the Philadelphia F...
P
Pearlmann
Pearlmann, whose given name is not printed, was arrested distributing Pittsburgh taxi-strike leaflets, held tw...
N
Naum Acheff
Released
Naum Acheff served two years in the Blawnox Workhouse in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, for helping stop an e...
J
John Adams
Released
John Adams was arrested for speaking at a Communist election meeting and convicted of sedition in Pennsylvania...
T
Thomas Affleck
Released
Thomas Affleck was a Scottish-born master cabinetmaker counted among the finest furniture makers of colonial P...
A
Alberta Wicker Africa
Released
Alberta Wicker Africa was a close companion of MOVE founder John Africa and later became a leading public voic...
C
Conrad Africa
Released
Conrad Africa was a MOVE member imprisoned in Pennsylvania during the organization’s 1977–1978 confrontation w...
J
Jerry Africa
Released
Jerry Africa was a MOVE member imprisoned in Pennsylvania during the organization’s 1977–1978 confrontation wi...
R
Robert Africa
Released
Robert Africa was a MOVE member imprisoned in Pennsylvania during the organization’s 1977–1978 confrontation w...
F
Frank Albert
Frank Albert was one of three workers named on page 3 of the Daily Worker, October 15, 1931, as arrested and h...
B
Bud Alcock
Released
Bud Alcock was listed among imprisoned draft and conscientious resisters in contemporary CCCO reports from 197...
G
George Alexander
Released
George Alexander was a Young Communist League activist prosecuted over an anti-war demonstration in McKeesport...
L
Lena Alexander
Released
Lena Alexander was a convicted defendant in the McKeesport, Pennsylvania anti-war "riot" case of 1937. In 1937...

Institutions in Pennsylvania

Prisons, jails, and detention centers in Pennsylvania that appear in the census’s case files.

Fort MifflinPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
48 cases
Allegheny County WorkhouseBlawnox, Pennsylvania
34 cases
Walnut Street JailPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
20 cases
Philadelphia GaolPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
18 cases
United States Penitentiary, LewisburgLewisburg, Pennsylvania
14 cases
Butler County PrisonButler, Pennsylvania
11 cases
FCI AllenwoodWhite Deer, Pennsylvania
10 cases
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas / SCI Pennsylvania state prisonsPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
9 cases