Research


Sing Sing Prison Inmate Admission Registers


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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 information on each inmate received at the prison. The early volumes provide information such as: admission date; alias; county from which received; age; birthplace; marital and family status; residence; height; weight; complexion; eye and hair color; other physical characteristics; if inmate could read or write; language inmate spoke; religion; habits (drinking, smoking); occupation; date convicted; crime; term of sentence; and judge. Later volumes were modified several times to include additional information.
Creator:
Title:
Sing Sing Prison inmate admission registers
Quantity:

76.1 cubic feet

Quantity:

149 volume(s)

Inclusive Dates:
1842-1852, 1865-1965, 1970-1971
Bulk Dates:
1865-1971
Series Number:
B0143

Arrangement

B0143-80: Chronological. Note that there is a gap in this accretion. No records are available for inmates with consecutive numbers ranging from 135700 (ca. May 1965) to 146922 (ca. October 1970).

B0143-98: Arranged by gender, then alphabetical by last name and chronological therein.

Scope and Content Note

B0143-80: Bound volumes record information on each inmate received at the prison. The Correction Law required daily reports of inmates received, including name, county tried in, crime, and other information. The early volumes (volumes 1-5 and 8 are missing) are entirely handwritten and provide the following information: date of admission; alias, county from which received; age; place of birth; marital and family status; residence; height; weight; complexion; eye and hair color; other physical characteristics (e.g. scars); if inmate could read or write (later: education); language inmate spoke; religion; habits (drinking, smoking); occupation; date convicted; crime; term of sentence; and judge.

In 1908, a new printed form for the pages added the following information: grade (A, B, or C; later: classification); color; hat and shoe size; description of forehead, ears, eyebrows, nose, mouth, lips, teeth, and general features; previous terms in other institutions; and a certification by the inmate that the information was accurate.

In 1914, a new printed form, titled "Receiving Blotter", added the following categories: plea; parents' place of birth; if a U.S. citizen; date arrived in New York; port; and steamship. This form was revised the following year, omitting the information on arrival in New York and adding when the term was up by commutation, expiration of sentence, or parole.

In 1926, the form was again revised to include jail time; when eligible for parole (omitting information on when term was up by commutation or expiration); regularity of church attendance; length of time since last regular attendance; weekly salary; length of residence at present location; length of residence in state; to what criminal act was attributed (e.g. drunkenness); military service; and articles taken from inmate when received. The detailed description of the inmate's physical features was omitted.

In 1931, the form was expanded to include lost time (i.e. extra time inmate had to serve due to misbehavior in prison); criminal act (brief description); city or town where crime was committed; value of goods or money involved in crime; if recovered; names and locations of accomplices; if friendly with accomplices; mental age and diagnosis (usually left blank); date and port of entry to U.S.; and employment record (last three employers).

This form remained standard with only a few revisions, mostly in structure. Beginning in 1964, a smaller form was used and the information was typed in.

There is a considerable gap in the admission registers near the end of accretion B0143-80. No admission records are included for inmates with consecutive numbers from 135700 (ca. May 1965) to 146922 (ca. October 1970).

B0143-98: This accretion is one bound volume providing name, place of birth, age, occupation, color, height, crime, place of conviction, date sentenced, and length of sentence for male and female inmates entering Sing Sing. Almost all the inmates entered the prison between 1842 and 1852, with a few entering as early as 1831 and as late as 1862. The keeper of the register is recorded (at the fore of the volume) as Jesse Jessup. The volume measures 6 x 4 x 3/4 inches and has a cardboard simulated leather cover with a flap enclosure.

Alternate Formats Available

B0143-98: Photocopy; 1 volume.

Items Online

The original volume covering the years 1842-1852 (B0143-98) has been digitized and is available in State Archives Digital Collections.

Portions of the series are digitized and are available to New York State residents for free on Ancestry.com New York. You must sign up for a free account to access these records without a paid subscription.

To learn how to create the free account, go to How to Use Ancestry.com New York.

Ancestry.com

Sing Sing Prison Admission Registers, 1865-1939 on Ancestry.com

New York State Archives Digital Collections

Inmate Admission Registers, 1842-1852, in Digital Collections

Custodial History

B0143-98: The register had been in custody of a private citizen who obtained it at a garage sale in Orange County, New York. In 1994, the state stopped the planned auction of the document and was granted an injunction against its sale or transfer until ownership was resolved. On December 4, 1998, in a pre-trial settlement, an agreement was reached that the State Archives was the rightful repository for the document.

Access Restrictions

B0143-98: Access to original volume is restricted; digitized version and photocopy are first-use copies.

Access Terms

Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):

Detailed Description

Dates Contents Box Volume Folder

Accretion: B0143-80
1865 July 20-1866 August 9 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 1 6
1866 August 11-1868 March 14 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 1 7
1868 April-1869 MISSING - not transferred to State Archives 1 8
1869-1870 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 2 9
1871-1872 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 2 10
1873-1874 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 3 11
1874-1875 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 3 12
1875-1876 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 4 13
1876-1877 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 4 14
1877 April 27-November 14 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 5A 15
1877 November 15-1878 June 17 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 5A 16
1878 June 18-1879 February 11 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 5A 17
1879 February 13-1880 June 28 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 5A 18
1880-1881 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 6 19
1881-1883 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 6 20
1883-1884 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 7 21
1884-1886 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 7 22
1886-1887 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 8 23
1887-1889 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 8 24
1889-1890 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 9 25
1890-1891 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 9 26
1891-1892 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 10 27
1892-1894 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 10 28
1894-1895 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 11 29
1895-1897 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 11 30
1897-1898 No Inmate Consecutive Numbers 12 31
1898-1899 Inmate Nos. 51314 - 51630 (Beginning of Vol. Lacks Consecutive Nos.) 12 32
1899-1901 Inmate Nos. 51361 - 52618 13 33
1902-1903 Inmate Nos. 53551 - 54550 13 35
1903-1905 Inmate Nos. 54551 - 55550 14 36
1905-1906 Inmate Nos. 55551 - 56547 14 37
1906-1908 Inmate Nos. 56548 - 57638 15 38-39
1908 Inmate Nos. 57639 - 58090 15 40
1908 Inmate Nos. 58091 - 58537 16 41
1908-1909 Inmate Nos. 58538 - 58977 16 42
1909 Inmate Nos. 58978 - 59418 17 43
1909-1910 Inmate Nos. 59419 - 59876 17 44
1910 Inmate Nos. 59877 - 60336 18 45
1910 Inmate Nos. 60337 - 60796 18 46
1910-1911 Inmate Nos. 60797 - 61252 19 47
1911 Inmate Nos. 61253 - 61708 19 48
1911-1912 Inmate Nos. 61709 - 62164 20 49
1912 Inmate Nos. 62165 - 62620 20 50
1912-1913 Inmate Nos. 62621 - 63076 21 51
1913 Inmate Nos. 63077 - 63528 21 52
1913 Inmate Nos. 63529 - 63984 22 53
1913-1914 Inmate Nos. 63985 - 64444 22 54
1914 Inmate Nos. 64445 - 64692 23A 55
1914 Inmate Nos. 64693 - 65192 23A 56
1914 Inmate Nos. 65193 - 65439 23A 57
1914-1915 Inmate Nos. 65440 - 65977 24 58
1915 Inmate Nos. 65978 - 66472 24 59
1915-1916 Inmate Nos. 66473 - 66968 25 60
1916 Inmate Nos. 66969 - 67458 25 61
1916-1917 Inmate Nos. 67459 - 67958 26 62
1917 Inmate Nos. 67959 - 68454 26 63
1917-1918 Inmate Nos. 68455 - 68942 27 64
Missing 27 65
1918-1919 Inmate Nos. 69441 - 69940 27 66
1919 Inmate Nos. 69941 - 70438 28 67
1919-1920 Inmate Nos. 70439 - 70858 28 68
1920 Inmate Nos. 70859 - 71278 29 69
1920 Inmate Nos. 71279 - 71702 29 70
1920-1921 Inmate Nos. 71703 - 72122 30 71
1921 Inmate Nos. 72123 - 72546 30 72
1921 Inmate Nos. 72547 - 72966 31 73
1921-1922 Inmate Nos. 72967 - 73582 31 74
1922 Inmate Nos. 73583 - 74218 32 75
1922-1923 Inmate Nos. 74219 - 74854 33 76
1923 Inmate Nos. 74857 - 75393 34 77
1923-1924 Inmate Nos. 75394 - 75933 35 78
1924 Inmate Nos. 75934 - 76474 36 79
1924-1925 Inmate Nos. 76475 - 77018 37 80
1925 Inmate Nos. 77019 - 77569 38 81
1925-1926 Inmate Nos. 77570 - 78108 39 82
1926 Inmate Nos. 78109 - 78366 40 83
1926 Inmate Nos. 78367 - 78626 40 84
1926 Inmate Nos. 78627 - 78854 42 85
1926 Inmate Nos. 78855 - 79354 43 86
1926-1927 Inmate Nos. 79355 - 79858 43 87
1927 Inmate Nos. 79859 - 80358 43 88
1927-1928 Inmate Nos. 80359 - 80772 44 89
1928 Inmate Nos. 80773 - 81268 44 90
1928-1929 Inmate Nos. 81269 - 81624 44 91
1929 February 13 Inmate Nos. 81685 - 82102 45 92
1929 Inmate Nos. 82103 - 82618 45 93
1929-1930 Inmate Nos. 82619 - 83138 45 94
1930 Inmate Nos. 83139 - 83658 46 95
1930-1931 Inmate Nos. 83659 - 84157 46 96
1931 Inmate Nos. 84158 - 84387 46 97
1931 Inmate Nos. 84387 - 84879 47 98
1931-1932 Inmate Nos. 84880 - 85799 48 99
1932 Inmate Nos. 85800 - 86799 49 100
1932-1933 Inmate Nos. 86800 - 87799 50 101
1933-1934 Inmate Nos. 87800 - 88799 51 102
1934 Inmate Nos. 88800 - 89665 52 103
1934-1935 Inmate Nos. 89800 - 90775 53 103A
1935 July-1936 March Inmate Nos. 90800 - 91799 54 104
1936 March-December Inmate Nos. 91800 - 92799 55 105
1936 December-1937 April Inmate Nos. 92800 - 93407 56 106
1937-1938 Inmate Nos. 93408 - 94499 57 107
1938 Inmate Nos. 94500 - 95599 58 108
1938-1939 Inmate Nos. 95600 - 96599 59 109
1939-1940 Inmate Nos. 96600 - 97599 60 110
1940 Inmate Nos. 97600 - 98599 61 111
1940-1941 Inmate Nos. 98600 - 99599 62 112
1941-1942 Inmate Nos. 99600 - 100599 63 113
1942 Inmate Nos. 100600 - 101599 64 114
1942-1943 Inmate Nos. 101600 - 102599 65 115
1943-1944 Inmate Nos. 102600 - 103599 66 116
1944-1946 Inmate Nos. 103600 - 104599 67 117
1946-1947 Inmate Nos. 104600 - 105599 68 118
1947 Inmate Nos. 105600 - 106599 69 118A
1947-1948 Inmate Nos. 106600 - 107599 70 119
1948-1949 Inmate Nos. 107600 - 108599 71 120
1949-1950 Inmate Nos. 108600 - 109599 72 121
1950-1951 Inmate Nos. 109600 - 110599 73 122
1951-1952 Inmate Nos. 110600 - 111600 74 123
1952 Inmate Nos. 111601 - 112600 75 124
1952-1953 Inmate Nos. 112601 - 113600 76 125
1953 Inmate Nos. 113601 - 114600 77 126
1953-1954 Inmate Nos. 114601 - 115600 78 127
1954 Inmate Nos. 115601 - 116600 79 128
1954-1955 Inmate Nos. 116601 - 117600 80 129
1955-1956 Inmate Nos. 117601 - 118600 81 130
1956 Inmate Nos. 118601 - 119600 82 131
1956-1957 Inmate Nos. 119601 - 120600 83 132
1957 Inmate Nos. 120601 - 121600 84 133
1957-1958 Inmate Nos. 121601 - 122600 85 134
1958-1959 Inmate Nos. 122601 - 123598 86 135
1959 Inmate Nos. 123599 - 124600 87 136
1959-1960 Inmate Nos. 124601 - 125600 88 137
1960 Inmate Nos. 125601 - 126600 89 138
1960-1961 Inamte Nos. 126601 - 127600 90 139
1961 Inmate Nos. 127601 - 128600 91 140
1961-1962 Inmate Nos. 128601 - 129600 92 141
1962 Inmate Nos. 129601 - 130599 93 142
1962-1963 Inmate Nos. 130601 - 131600 94 143
1963 Inmate Nos. 131601 - 132746 95 144
1964 July 2-15 Inmate Nos. 134100 - 134199 96 1
1964 July 15-August 7 Inmate Nos. 134200 - 134299 96 2
1964 August 7-September 17 Inmate Nos. 134300 - 134399 96 3
1964 September 17-October 7 Inmate Nos. 134400 - 134499 96 4
1964 October 7-22 Inmate Nos. 134500 - 134599 96 5
1964 October 22-November 13 Inmate Nos. 134600 - 134699 96 6
1964 November 13-December 7 Inmate Nos. 134700 - 134799 96 7
1964 December 7-21 Inmate Nos. 134800 - 134899 96 8
1964 December 21-1965 January 20 Inmate Nos. 134900 - 134999 96 9
1965 January 20-February 3 Inmate Nos. 135000 - 135099 96 10
1965 February 4-24 Inmate Nos. 135100 - 135199 96 11
1965 February 24-March 10 Inmate Nos. 135200 - 135299 96 12
1965 March 10-31 Inmate Nos. 135300 - 135399 96 13
1965 March 31-April 13 Inmate Nos. 135400 - 135499 96 14
1965 April 13-30 Inmate Nos. 135500 - 135599 96 15
1965 April 30-May 12 Inmate Nos. 135600 - 135699 96 16
1970 October 30-November 5 Inmate Nos. 146923-146999 97 1
1970 November 5-20 Inmate Nos. 147000-147099 97 2
1970 November 20-December 4 Inmate Nos. 147100-147199 97 3
1970 December 4-17 Inmate Nos. 147200-147299 97 4
1970 December 17-30 Inmate Nos. 147300-147399 97 5
1970 December 30-1971 January 14 Inmate Nos. 147400-147499 97 6
1971 January 19-29 Inmate Nos. 147500-147599 97 7
1971 January 29-February 16 Inmate Nos. 147600-147699 97 8
1971 February 16-26 Inmate Nos. 147700-147799 97 9
1971 February 26-March 11 Inmate Nos. 147800-147899 97 10
1971 March 11-23 Inmate Nos. 147900-147999 97 11
1971 March 23-April 6 Inmate Nos. 148000-148099 98 1
1971 April 6-21 Inmate Nos. 148100-148199 98 2
1971 April 21-May 4 Inmate Nos. 148200-148299 98 3
1971 May 4-14 Inmate Nos. 148300-148399 98 4
1971 May 14-24 Inmate Nos. 148400-148499 98 5
1971 May 24-June 4 Inmate Nos. 148500-148599 98 6
1971 June 4-15 Inmate Nos. 148600-148699 98 7
1971 June 15-24 Inmate Nos. 148700-148799 98 8
1971 June 24-July 1 Inmate Nos. 148800-148899 98 9
1971 July 1-15 Inmate Nos. 148900-148999 98 10
1971 July 15-August 3 Inmate Nos. 149000-149099 99 1
1971 August 3-September 1 Inmate Nos. 149100-149199 99 2
1971 September 2-20 Inmate Nos. 149200-149299 99 3
1971 September 20-30 Inmate Nos. 149300-149399 99 4
1971 September 30-October 12 Inmate Nos. 149400-149499 99 5
1971 October 12-22 Inmate Nos. 149500-149599 99 6
1971 October 22-November 4 Inmate Nos. 149600-149699 99 7
1971 November 4-12 Inmate Nos. 149700-149799 99 8
1971 November 12-22 Inmate Nos. 149800-149899 99 9
1971 November 22-30 Inmate Nos. 149900-149999 99 10
1971 November 30-December 8 Inmate Nos. 150000-150099 99 11
1971 December 8-16 Inmate Nos. 150100-150199 99 12
1971 December 16-24 Inmate Nos. 150200-150299 99 13
1971 December 23-1972 January 7 Inmate Nos. 150300-150399 99 14
1972 January 7-19 Inmate Nos. 150400-150499 99 15
1972 January 19-27 Inmate Nos. 150500-150599 99 16
1972 January 27-February 8 Inmate Nos. 150600-150699 99 17
1972 February 8-18 Inmate Nos. 150700-150799 99 18
1972 February 18-March 1 Inmate Nos. 150800-150899 99 19
1972 March 1-9 Inmate Nos. 150900-150999 99 20
1972 March 9-21 Inmate Nos. 151000-151099 99 21
1972 March 21-29 Inmate Nos. 151100-151199 99 22
1972 March 29-April 11 Inmate Nos. 151200-151299 99 23
1972 April 11-19 Inmate Nos. 151300-151399 99 24
1972 April 19-26 Inmate Nos. 151400-151499 99 25
1972 April 26-May 4 Inmate Nos. 151500-151599 99 26
1972 May 4-16 Inmate Nos. 151600-151699 99 27
1972 May 16-23 Inmate Nos. 151700-151799 99 28
1972 May 23-June 1 Inmate Nos. 151800-151899 99 29
1972 June 1-12 Inmate Nos. 151900-151999 99 30
1972 June 13-20 Inmate Nos. 152000 - 152099 100 1
1972 June 20-28 Inmate Nos. 152100 - 152199 100 2
1972 June 28-July 6 Inmate Nos. 152200 - 152299 100 3
1972 July 6-17 Inmate Nos. 152300 - 152399 100 4
1972 July 17-August 4 Inmate Nos. 152400 - 152499 100 5
1972 August 4-18 Inmate Nos. 152500 - 152599 100 6
1972 August 18-September 7 Inmate Nos. 152600 - 152699 100 7
1972 September 8-19 Inmate Nos. 152700 - 152799 100 8
1972 September 19-26 Inmate Nos. 152800 - 152899 100 9
1972 September 26-27 Inmate Nos. 152900 - 152930 100 10

Accretion: B0143-98
1842-1852 Original Volume (Photocopy Available) 1