Research

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of 8" x 8" cards providing basic biographical and physical information on inmates housed at Matteawan State Hospital.

These cards were originally part of the Inmate Identification Files (see series #1501) but were never included in the identification envelopes. There are no identification envelopes for any of the cards that exist. The case files for the inmates described by the cards do exist though. A photograph of the inmate (front and side views) is usually found on the front of the card (others have the photo on the reverse while still others have no photo). The cards provide data on the inmate's name, residence, number, aliases, court term when sentenced, judge, date when sentenced, date when committed to Matteawan, date received, county where court was located, crime, place of transfer, date of discharge, birth, height, weight, build, nativity, occupation, eye color, hair color, left or right handed, scars or marks, and FBI and DCI (later NYSIIS) numbers. On the reverse side of the card are inmate's fingerprints (all ten fingers, left hand, right hand and thumbs together), the date the impression was given and by whom taken.