New York House of Refuge Inmate Case Histories
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Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
The New York House of Refuge was the first juvenile reformatory in the United States. During its existence from 1825 to 1935,
the institution implemented many innovative programs for the detention, education, and rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents.
This series contains detailed information, including personal, family, and criminal history, regarding each inmate (male and
female) admitted to the institution.
Creator:
Title:
New York House of Refuge inmate case histories
Quantity:
70 cubic feet
106 volumes
Inclusive Dates:
1824-1935
Series Number:
A2064
Arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically by admission date. Case histories are numbered consecutively.
Scope and Content Note
This series provides detailed information regarding the personal, family, and criminal history of inmates admitted to the
New York House of Refuge during its one hundred and ten years of operation. The format and contents of the histories vary
over time, reflecting the implementation and revision of standard forms used to gather data. Certain data is found in the
bulk of the histories: age and place of birth; education; habits; criminal history; parents' names and addresses; description
of home (after 1878); parents' occupations (after 1878); conduct after discharge (after 1878); physical description (after
1907); and parole and recommittal information (after 1907).
From 1824 to 1878 (volumes 1-37), most of the case history was compiled in narrative format at the time of admission. These
narrative histories include parents' names, address, and nativity; inmate's age, place of birth, and former residence; inmate's
prior involvement with the criminal justice system; inmate's prior education; name of court or other agency that made the
commitment; "bad habits" such as patronizing theaters or circuses or staying out late; and keeping "bad company," especially
with other inmates.
Narrative histories written prior to 1860 often include estimates of an inmate's character and intelligence, including notes
on the inmate's grade level and habits of school attendance or truancy. Histories compiled beginning in the 1870s reflect
increased concern for literacy and vocational aptitude, and information can be found regarding the inmate's prior work experience
and parents' occupations.
These narrative histories are supplemented by "remarks" containing information about the status and progress of an inmate
after admission. Remarks relate to a wide variety of topics: punishments or improvements in behavior; indentureship, including
master's name, residence, occupation, and occasional reports on inmate behavior; escapes and recommittals; visits and letters
from former inmates; and school and vocational training progress.
Beginning in 1878 (volume 38), the narrative histories are supplemented by a printed standard form titled "Examination of
the Home." Filled out by a parole agent at the time of admission, these forms contain the following information: inmate's
name and age; examiner's name and date of visit to inmate's home; inmate's home address and whether or not it was a tenement;
description of the residence, including number of rooms, level on which an apartment was located, quality of furnishings,
and number and ages of family members living there; parents' or step-parents' names, occupations, and habits regarding alcohol;
indication of whether or not mother and father lived together and if living separately, the reason for separation; inmate's
level of education and habits regarding attendance or truancy; and record of inmate's prior arrests.
The standard forms also feature a space for "remarks" regarding the inmate's home environment. Relatives or neighbors are
often noted as the source of information in this "remarks" section. Finally, the forms contain a section titled "Examination
after Discharge" used for entering information about the former inmate's adjustment to home, school, and/or job after release
from the institution. However, this part of the form is rarely completed beyond the name and address of the former inmate,
and frequently there is a notation that the former inmate could not be found.
Case histories compiled during the period from 1907 until the close of the institution are recorded on elaborate, four-page
standard forms. The first page contains basic admission data; the second page contains information on home examinations; the
third page updates previous information after a recommittal; and the fourth page, titled "Notes while under supervision or
parole," contains short narrative entries. Beginning in the late 1920s, few entries were made after the first page.
The first, or admission page includes the following information: admission date; house and case history number; judge, court,
and details of offense; age at admission and year when twenty-one years old; assignment data, including original assignment
to a division and subsequent transferrals; appearance, including skin color, hair color, build (rarely filled in), and facial
features; height; identifying marks, scars, and tatoos; parents' names, whether or not still living, nativity, duration of
United States residence, occupation, whether living together, religion, and alcohol or tobacco habits; comments on home conditions;
home address at admission and subsequent changes; previous arrests, including number and offense; school record prior to commitment,
including attendance record, whether literate in English, grade level in public school, grade assigned in reformatory and
subsequent promotion; and siblings' names, sex, age, school attendance, whether employed, and whether living at home.
The second page contains information on home examinations, usually including a pre-parole examination and another examination
after parole. Data includes name of parole officer and date of visit; general characteristics of the home environment, such
as "very good, well kept, neat"; more extensive notes on the home environment; a section titled "pre-parole work examination"
with spaces for entering information about employer's name and address, the character of the business, the type of work to
be done by the parolee, and the terms of the parole; and a section for information about bank accounts opened for inmates
or personal property held in trust by the superintendent. The third page of the standard form contains information entered
when a paroled or discharged inmate was recommitted. The entries on this page provide updated information gathered from new
home, pre-parole, and parole examinations.
The final page of the standard form is a blank, lined sheet titled "Notes While under Supervision on Parole." This page contains
very brief narrative entries, probably made by the parole officer. Entries include the following types of information: notes
on interviews with the inmate; orders for a home examination; notes on time remaining until discharge; decisions that the
inmate is "unfit" due to chronic physical or mental health problems or behavioral disorders; notes that a parolee was arrested
or otherwise abused parole privileges; and cross references to pages in parole journals.
Alternate Formats Available
Microform is available at the New York State Archives through interlibrary loan.
Other Finding Aids
Available at Repository
Each volume in the series includes a name index. Cumulative alphabetical indexes covering volumes 1-31 (1824-1869) are available
in original paper format only.
Custodial History
The Department of Correction placed these records on loan to the Syracuse University Library from 1960-1977. The department's
successor agency, the Department of Correctional Services, reacquired the records and subsequently transferred them to the
State Archives.
Access Restrictions
Inmate case records are generally disclosable 75 years after date of discharge, but some information in case records of any
date may be exempt from disclosure pursuant to Freedom of Information Law, or FOIL (Public Officers Law, Article 6), sect.
84-90; and Personal Privacy Protection Law, or PPPL (Public Officers Law, Article 6-A), sect. 91-99. For this reason, microfilm
containing case records less than 100 years old is not available through interlibrary loan.
Access Terms
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):
Detailed Description
Dates |
Contents |
Box |
Volume |
Roll |
Accretion: A2064-78 |
1824-1825 |
Volume 1, 1-69 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1825-1827 |
Volume 2, 70-328 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1827-1829 |
Volume 3, 331-574 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1829-1830 |
Volume 4, 575-799 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1830-1832 |
Volume 5, 800-1077 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
1832-1834 |
Volume 6, 1078-1325 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
1834-1835 |
Volume 7, 1326-1595 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
1835-1836 |
Volume 8, 1596-1808 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
1836-1838 |
Volume 9, 1809-2118 |
2 |
9 |
3 |
1838-1839 |
Volume 10, 2119-2393 |
3 |
10 |
3 |
1839-1841 |
Volume 11, 2394-2655 |
3 |
11 |
3 |
1841-1842 |
Volume 12, 2656-2951 |
3 |
12 |
4 |
1842-1843 |
Volume 13, 2952-3290 |
3 |
13 |
4 |
1843-1845 |
Volume 14, 3291-3603 |
4 |
14 |
4 |
1845-1846 |
Volume 15, 3604-3867 |
4 |
15 |
4-5 |
1846-1847 |
Volume 16, 3868-4133 |
4 |
16 |
5 |
1847-1849 |
Volume 17, 4134-4468 |
5 |
17 |
5 |
1849-1850 |
Volume 18, 4469-4813 |
5 |
18 |
5 |
1850-1851 |
Volume 19, 4814-5153 |
6 |
19 |
5 |
1851-1852 |
Volume 20, 5154-5430 |
7 |
20 |
6 |
1852-1853 |
Volume 21, 5431-5932 |
7 |
21 |
6 |
1853-1855 |
Volume 22, 5933-6480 |
8 |
22 |
6 |
1855-1856 |
Volume 23, 6481-6852 |
8 |
23 |
6 |
1856-1857 |
Volume 24, 6853-7229 |
9 |
24 |
7 |
1857-1860 |
Volume 25, 7230-8094 |
10 |
25 |
7 |
1860-1862 |
Volume 26, 8095-9047 |
11 |
26 |
8 |
1862-1864 |
Volume 27, 9048-9869 |
12 |
27 |
9 |
1864-1865 |
Volume 28, 9872-10712 |
13 |
28 |
10 |
1865-1866 |
Volume 29, 10713-11571 |
14 |
29 |
10 |
1866-1868 |
Volume 30, 11573-12439 |
15 |
30 |
11 |
1868-1869 |
Volume 31A, 12440-12899 |
16A |
31A |
12 |
1868-1869 |
Volume 31B, 12900-13294 |
16B |
31B |
12 |
1869-1871 |
Volume 32, 13295-14147 |
17 |
32 |
12 |
1881-1882 |
Volume 41, 19770-20233 |
17 |
41 |
17 |
1871-1873 |
Volume 33, 14148-14995 |
18 |
33 |
13 |
1873-1875 |
Volume 34, 14996-15827 |
18 |
34 |
13 |
1875-1876 |
Volume 35, 15828-16663 |
19 |
35 |
14 |
1877-1878 |
Volume 37, 17496-18335 |
19 |
37 |
15 |
1876-1877 |
Volume 36, 16664-17495 |
20 |
36 |
15 |
1878-1879 |
Volume 38, 18336-18815 |
21 |
38 |
16 |
1879-1880 |
Volume 39A, 18816-18976 |
22A |
39A |
16 |
1879-1880 |
Volume 39B, 18977-19292 |
22B |
39B |
16 |
1880-1881 |
Volume 40A, 19293-19530 |
23A |
40A |
17 |
1880-1881 |
Volume 40B, 19531-19769 |
23B |
40B |
17 |
1882 |
Volume 42A, 20234-20454 |
24A |
42A |
18 |
1882 |
Volume 42B, 20455-20712 |
24B |
42B |
18 |
1882-1883 |
Volume 43, 20713-21194 |
21 |
43 |
18 |
1883-1884 |
Volume 44, 21195-21679 |
25 |
44 |
19 |
1884-1885 |
Volume 45, 21680-22153 |
25 |
45 |
19 |
1885-1886 |
Volume 46, 22154-22628 |
26 |
46 |
20 |
1886-1887 |
Volume 47, 22629-23106 |
26 |
47 |
20 |
1887-1889 |
Volume 48, 23107-23584 |
27 |
48 |
21 |
1889-1890 |
Volume 49, 23585-24110 |
27 |
49 |
21 |
1891-1892 |
Volume 50, 24111-24562 |
28 |
50 |
22 |
1892-1894 |
Volume 51, 24563-25012 |
29 |
51 |
22 |
1894-1895 |
Volume 52, 25013-25457 |
30 |
52 |
23 |
1895-1896 |
Volume 53, 25458-25908 |
31 |
53 |
23 |
1896 |
Volume 54, 25909-26358 |
32 |
54 |
24 |
1896-1897 |
Volume 55, 26359-26856 |
33 |
55 |
24 |
1897-1899 |
Volume 56, 26857-27358 |
34 |
56 |
25 |
1899-1900 |
Volume 57, 27359-27830 |
35 |
57 |
25 |
1900-1901 |
Volume 58, 27831-28330 |
36 |
58 |
26 |
1901-1902 |
Volume 59, 28331-28828 |
37 |
59 |
26 |
1902-1903 |
Volume 60, 28829-29325 |
38 |
60 |
27 |
1903-1904 |
Volume 61A, 29326-29544 |
39A |
61A |
28 |
1903-1904 |
Volume 61B, 29545-29818 |
39B |
61B |
28 |
1904-1905 |
Volume 62A, 29819-30070 |
40A |
62A |
28 |
1904-1905 |
Volume 62B, 30071-30308 |
40B |
62B |
28 |
1905-1907 |
Volume 63A, 30309-30538 |
41A |
63A |
29 |
1905-1907 |
Volume 63B, 30539-30774 |
41B |
63B |
29 |
1907-1908 |
Volume 64, 30775-30965 |
42 |
64 |
30 |
1908 |
Volume 65, 30966-31155 |
43 |
65 |
30 |
1908-1909 |
Volume 66, 31156-31347 |
44 |
66 |
31 |
1909 |
Volume 67, 31348-31537 |
45 |
67 |
31 |
1909-1910 |
Volume 68, 31538-31749 |
46 |
68 |
32 |
1910-1911 |
Volume 69, 31750-31965 |
47 |
69 |
33 |
1911-1913 |
Volume 70, 31966-32180 |
48 |
70 |
33 |
1913 |
Volume 71, 32181-32393 |
49 |
71 |
34 |
1913-1914 |
Volume 72, 32394-32573 |
50 |
72 |
34 |
1914 |
Volume 73, 32574-32745 |
50 |
73 |
35 |
1914-1915 |
Volume 74, 32746-33077 |
51 |
74 |
35 |
1915 |
Volume 75, 33078-33404 |
52 |
75 |
36 |
1915-1916 |
Volume 76, 33405-33625 |
53 |
76 |
36 |
1916-1917 |
Volume 77, 33626-33843 |
53 |
77 |
37 |
1917 |
Volume 78, 33844-34063 |
54 |
78 |
37 |
1917-1918 |
Volume 79, 34064-34281 |
55 |
79 |
38 |
1918 |
Volume 80, 34282-34495 |
56 |
80 |
38 |
1918-1919 |
Volume 81, 34496-34700 |
57 |
81 |
39 |
1925-1926 |
Volume 89, 36192-36301 |
57 |
89 |
42 |
1919 |
Volume 82, 34701-34873 |
58 |
82 |
39 |
1919-1920 |
Volume 83, 34874-35045 |
59 |
83 |
39 |
1920-1921 |
Volume 84A, 35046-35187 |
60A |
84A |
40 |
1920-1921 |
Volume 84B, 35188-35350 |
60B |
84B |
40 |
1921-1922 |
Volume 85A, 35351-35486 |
61A |
85A |
40 |
1921-1922 |
Volume 85B, 35487-35649 |
61B |
85B |
40-41 |
1922-1924 |
Volume 86, 35650-35866 |
62 |
86 |
41 |
1924-1925 |
Volume 87, 35867-36072 |
63 |
87 |
41 |
1925 |
Volume 88, 36073-36191 |
64 |
88 |
42 |
1928 |
Volume 94, 36881-37054 |
64 |
94 |
43 |
1926 |
Volume 90, 36302-36420 |
65 |
90 |
42 |
1926-1927 |
Volume 91, 36421-36563 |
65 |
91 |
42 |
1927 |
Volume 92, 36564-36706 |
66 |
92 |
43 |
1927-1928 |
Volume 93, 36707-36880 |
66 |
93 |
43 |
1928-1929 |
Volume 95, 37055-37222 |
67 |
95 |
44 |
1929-1930 |
Volume 96, 37223-37387 |
67 |
96 |
44 |
1930 |
Volume 97, 37388-37553 |
68 |
97 |
44 |
1930-1931 |
Volume 98, 37554-37708 |
68 |
98 |
45 |
1931 |
Volume 99, 37709-37868 |
69 |
99 |
45 |
1931 |
Volume 100, 37869-38029 |
69 |
100 |
45 |
1931-1932 |
Volume 101, 38030-38191 |
70 |
101 |
46 |
1932 |
Volume 102, 38192-38353 |
70 |
102 |
46 |
1932-1933 |
Volume 103, 38354-38514 |
71 |
103 |
46-47 |
1933 |
Volume 104, 38515-38675 |
71 |
104 |
47 |
1933-1934 |
Volume 105, 38676-38871 |
72 |
105 |
47 |
1934-1935 |
Volume 106, 38872-39067 |
72 |
106 |
47 |