Research

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of a daily count of the population of incarcerated individuals at the Elmira Reformatory. This count was taken Monday through Friday at various intervals to indicate the location of the entire population at that time. Prior to July 1938, staff at Elmira Reformatory used one log to record population counts taken during the day and a separate log to record counts taken at night. Day volumes include five population counts taken between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.; night volumes include two or three counts taken between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. and another two counts taken between 10:00 p.m. and midnight of the same day. Beginning in July 1938, staff used one single log to record nine population counts taken during a twenty-four-hour day. Commencing at some point after February 1942, separate logs were once again used.

Volumes include population counts conducted at locations including work areas (construction, electrical department, laundry, kitchen etc.), educational classes (bricklaying, music, welding, etc.), or other areas (guard house, hospital, library, cellblocks, dining rooms, cage floor, center gate, dormitories) and indicates the number of incarcerated individuals counted at the time. Counts of newly received or paroled incarcerated individuals are included where applicable. The total population of incarcerated individuals for each count is included along with the name of staff member taking the count.