Research: Topics: Genealogy: Department of Corrections: Description: Institutional Records
C. INSTITUTIONAL RECORDS
EASTERN NEW YORK CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
Eastern New York Correctional Facility is located at Napanoch, Ulster County. It is classified as a maximum security correctional facility, to be used as a general confinement facility for males 16 years of age or older. Many of the inmates are from the New York City area and have sentences of less than one year. Eastern presently confines approximately 1,100 inmates.
The Laws of 1892, Chapter 336, established the Eastern New York Reformatory. The institution opened on October 1, 1900. Administered by the Superintendent of State Prisons, Eastern received prisoners from any State prison or reformatory. Most of its inmates were transferred from the New York State Reformatory at Elmira. In 1906, the State Board of Managers of Reformatories was established and given authority over both the Elmira and Eastern reformatories. They appointed a superintendent for each institution.
The Laws of 1921, Chapter 483, changed Eastern from a reformatory into the Institution for Male Defective Delinquents at Napanoch. The control of Napanoch was taken from the Board of Managers of State reformatories and placed under the State Commission for Mental Defectives. The institution was similar to Bedford's division for defective delinquent women. The new institution had the function of caring for, training, and treating defective delinquent inmates over the age of 16. Sent to Napanoch were individuals charged with committing a crime who were judged to be mentally defective by a board of examiners. Usually admitted were individuals who were judged to have IQs under 70. In addition, inmates at other institutions could be examined and subsequently transferred to Napanoch. All sentences at Napanoch were indefinite. The Napanoch program focused principally on discipline and military drill. There was a large farming program as well.
In 1927, the institution was placed under the Department of Mental Hygiene and the following year put under the Department of Correction. In 1958 (Chapter 370), Napanoch was renamed the Eastern Correctional Institution. Part of the institution was for regular inmates while another part continued for inmates of below-normal or borderline intelligence. In 1966 (Chapter 819), the institution was renamed the Catskill Reformatory. Inmates considered defective delinquent were sent to the Institution for Mental Defective Delinquents at Beacon. In 1970, the institution was given its present name.
A0636. Annual reports and handbooks, ca. 1880-1920. 2 cu. ft.
This series contains printed annual reports and handbooks prepared by Elmira Reformatory's Board of Managers. Included are annual reports by the Board of Managers of Reformatories which had jurisdiction over both Elmira and the Eastern New York Reformatory. The reports include information on both institutions.
B0133. Admission register, 1900-1908. .3 cu. ft. (1 volume)
This register contains summary information on inmates received at the reformatory from October 1, 1900 to August 29, 1909. The majority of the inmates were received from Elmira. This includes information on the inmate's family background, criminal history, present crime and sentence, and a physical description of the inmate.
B0132. Discharge register, 1900-1909. .3 cu. ft. (1 volume)
This register contains summary information on inmates discharged from the reformatory from November 14, 1900 to September 30, 1909. Included is information on the inmate's background, crime and sentence, health when convicted and at discharge, and type of discharge.
B0127. Biographical register of men returned for parole violations, 1916-1920. 1 cu. ft. (1 volume)
For each inmate returned to the reformatory for violating parole, this register contains two pages of information on the inmate and his violation. Included is information on previous criminal history; the crime; the trade taught at the reformatory; situation during parole; the employment and criminal history of family members; and a prognosis on the ability of the inmate to reform. Included is a statement by the inmate regarding the violation, a report by the parole officer, and a report by the prison physician on the inmate's physical and mental health and moral character.
New York State Institution for Male Defective Delinquents
14610-88B. Inmate case files, 1920-1956. R 251 cu. ft.
Approximately 7,000 case files relate to inmates confined at the Institution for Male Defective Delinquents at Napanoch from 1921 through 1956. The case files relate to inmates with Napanoch inmate numbers between #1 and #7893. Many of the inmates were transferred to Napanoch from other institutions and case files contain many records from these previous confinements. Most of the records in these case files are similar to records in case files from other corrections institutions documenting the arrest, sentencing, confinement, and release/parole of the inmate. In addition, the Napanoch case files contain a number of psychological and psychiatric records used to test, evaluate, and classify its unique defective delinquent population. These special records include certificates of mental defect, extensive staff reports, medical histories, correspondence relating to previous confinements, results of academic achievement and intelligence examinations, psychological and psychiatric examination reports, and habeas corpus petitions.
