Auburn Prison Inmate Record Cards
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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:
This series consists of records of individuals released from Auburn Prison. Each card contains summary information on the
incarcerated individual's background; criminal activity; behavior and progress during confinement, and release from Auburn.
Information includes name and consecutive number; crime; date and place of birth; physical characteristics (color, height,
weight); marital status; number of children; immediate relatives; religion; educational level; occupation; health; drug and
alcohol use; citizenship; photograph; and prison activities.
Creator:
Title:
Auburn Prison inmate record cards
Quantity:
Inclusive Dates:
1915-1970
Series Number:
B1222
Arrangement
Alphabetical by surname.
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of record cards for approximately 18,000 incarcerated individuals released from Auburn Prison from 1915
to 1970. The cards contain summary information on each individual's background, criminal activity, behavior and progress during
confinement, and release from Auburn.
These records were likely used by the Principal Keeper/Deputy Warden to record basic information about individuals in the
prison population. Much of the information on the card duplicates the information found on the Warden's Record Card that was
filed with individual's central case file. A large number of the cards indicate that the case file was destroyed, thereby
increasing the value of the information preserved on these record cards.
B1222-77: The format and information contained on the record cards varies slightly over time. Cards are approximately 6" x
10" in size and contain information on both sides. The following basic information is contained on each of the cards: name
and consecutive number; crime (date, type, county, court, judge, plea, date of sentence); date and place of birth; characteristics
(age, color, height, weight); marital status and number of children; name and address of immediate relatives; religion; educational
level and occupation; health and use of alcohol or drugs; citizenship; prison term (number of days in jail, minimum term,
maximum term, date maximum term expires, date received at Auburn or at previous institution if transferred); Auburn Prison
information including cell number, shop location, and grade at release, locations and dates of shop assignments, dates of
promotions to new grade, disciplinary action (description and dates of infractions, number of days forfeited) and photograph;
date and type of release (parole, transfer, etc.); and notation if the individual's central files were destroyed.
Processing Information
B1222-77: Originally accessioned as part of old collection #500G, accession -441.
B1222-99: This accretion resulted from a project by Archives staff in 1999 to integrate or accession estrayed or unidentified
records. When the series was rearranged alphabetically to facilitate access in 2017-2018, the cards in this accretion were
folded into the original accession and the accretion ceased to exist as a separate set.
Access Restrictions
Summary information on adult incarcerated individuals is disclosable under law. State Archives staff will review records containing
probation, parole, medical, and juvenile criminal history data and disclose information pursuant to the Freedom of Information
Law and Personal Privacy Protection Law. The identity of victims of sex crimes is not disclosable. Unless a specific law forbids
disclosure indefinitely, all records must be disclosed after 75 years.
Access Terms
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Detailed Description
| Contents |
Box |
Accretion: B1222-77 |
| A-Al |
1 |
| Wis-Young (no letter X cards) |
68 |
| Mold Damaged Cards (photocopies are filed in main sequence) |
70 |
