The Prisoner’s Friends’ Association (PFA) began in 1982 at the suggestion of the Commissioner of the Correctional Service Department (CSD). It was founded to recruit volunteer prison visitors to visit prisoners who had no one visiting them. Prisoners were then found that had had no visitors for more than ten years.

During the early years of the organization, it was not too active. However, about 1986 Mrs. Jane Crawley became chairman of the PFA giving all her time as a volunteer to build it up. In 1995 it was registered with the Societies Office Registry of the Hong Kong Police Force and received recognition as a charitable organization under section 88 of the Inland Revenue.

Mrs. Crawley recruited over 100 prison visitors that started visiting in more than 8 of Hong Kong’s prisons. She also recruited pen pals that just wrote to prisoners. As the result of her work, the Correctional Services Department agreed to issue prison visiting passes to volunteer visitors so that they could go into a visit room and talk to prisoners face to face with the same privileges of a visiting solicitor or social worker. Prison visiting coordinators were recruited. These coordinators were responsible to establish a link between the welfare officers of prisons and the volunteers visiting prisons.

Mrs. Crawley resigned as Chairman in 1996 to become Vice President of our organization. Miss Pauline Deary became chairman. Miss Deary left Hong Kong in April 98, and the executive committee elected Mr. Charles McKnlly to be the new chairman.