Brief case histories of male inmates A3139

Brief case histories of male inmates

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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 brief case histories of male inmates at the Western House of Refuge. Information may include inmate name and number; date received; from what court and location; age and birthday; nativity; health, habits, and occupation of parents; school attendance record; previous institutionalization; offenses, behavior, and habits before entering Western House; offense for which committed; inmate's character, intelligence, and prospects; and class (school grade) entered. Records are restricted.

Creator:

Western House of Refuge for Juvenile Delinquents (Rochester, N.Y.)

Title:

Brief case histories of male inmates

Quantity:

0.3 cubic feet

3 volumes

Inclusive Dates:

1853-1860

Series Number:

A3139

Arrangement

Chronological by admission date; also numeric by inmate number.

Scope and Content Note

These volumes contain a one- or two-paragraph narrative history for each of about 700 male inmates.

The histories may provide such information as: inmate name and number; date received; from what court and location; age and birthday; nativity; health, habits, and occupation of parents; if attended school regularly or at all; previous institutionalization; offenses, behavior, and habits before entering Western House; offense for which committed; comment on inmate's character, intelligence, and prospects; and class (school grade) entered.

There is no indication of who created these records or for what purpose, but several possibilities exist: these might be preliminary histories of inmates taken before completing the more detailed full case histories in series A1906, Male Inmate Case History Books; they might be early versions of the more detailed inmate case histories kept by the chaplains in series A3146, Chaplains' Registers of Inmate Case Histories; and they may be histories taken by the institution's teachers as part of the process of assigning inmates to school grades.

At least six volumes existed at one time, but only three are extant.

Custodial History

The Department of Social Welfare placed these records on loan to the Syracuse University Library from 1960-1977.

Access Restrictions

Restricted in accordance with Executive Law, Section 501-c(1)(b), relating to confidentiality of individuals in custody of the Division for Youth (now Office of Children and Family Services).