Research: Topics: Genealogy: Department of Corrections: Description: Institutional Records

C. INSTITUTIONAL RECORDS

ELMIRA CORRECTIONAL AND RECEPTION CENTER

Elmira Correctional and Reception Center is a maximum security facility located in Elmira, Chemung County. It occupies the land and buildings formerly occupied by the Elmira Correctional Facility and the Elmira Reception Center. The facility serves as a reception facility for every male between the ages of 16 and 21 committed to the Department of Correctional Services under an indeterminate or reformatory sentence from all judicial districts of the State. It serves also as a general confinement facility for males between the ages of 16 years of age or older and as a diagnostic and treatment center. Elmira maintains a varied program in vocational and academic training and operates a large printing shop. Presently there are approximately 1,300 inmates in general confinement and 400 inmates confined in the reception center.

Construction of the institution was approved by the legislature in 1871 (Chapter 715) and it opened in 1876 as the New York State Reformatory at Elmira. Elmira was one of the most important penal institutions in the country at the end of the 19th century. The philosophy of the institution, unique at the time, was that inmates should be reformed and that this reform was to be obtained through individualized treatment aimed at physical, intellectual, industrial, and moral training. Important segments of Elmira's program included indeterminate sentencing, vocational education, military squads, a detailed mark system, and the first broad use of parole in the country. Despite the apparent early success of the Elmira program and its emulation by other states, subsequent investigations uncovered serious abuses in the program and eventually led to changes in the administration and program at Elmira by the turn of the century.

Elmira was under the general supervision of the State Board of Charities from 1876 to 1894 when it was placed under the jurisdiction of the State Commission of Prisons. Elmira was directed by a Board of Managers appointed by the governor. In 1906, the legislature created a State Board of Managers of Reformatories to manage both Elmira and the Eastern New York Reformatory at Napanoch. When the Napanoch reformatory went out of existence in 1921, this Board continued to govern Elmira. In 1926, the legislature created a Department of Correction and placed the management of Elmira under the Commissioner of Correction. In 1933, the institution was renamed the Elmira Reformatory. It was renamed the Elmira Correctional Facility when the new Department of Correctional Services was established in 1970.

14610-88A. Inmate case files, 1920-1956. R 200 cu. ft.

Approximately 22,000 partial inmate case files relate to inmates confined at Elmira from about 1920 to 1956. These files reflect the practice of filing inmate medical records separately from the general case files. 18,000 of the files contain medical records of inmates (with consecutive numbers between #30,100 and #49,226) confined from about 1920 to 1950. The remaining 4,000 files are general inmate case files for inmates (with consecutive numbers between #42,785 and #55,193) confined from 1937 to 1956. These files do not include any classification records normally found in inmate case files. The classification records were also filed separately from the general case files and may be contained in the separate accession of classification files described below. (14610-88A)

14610-81. Inmate case files (Classification Clinic), 1916- 1939. R 208 cu. ft.

Approximately 19,000 partial case files relate to inmates confined at Elmira from 1916 to 1939. These files relate to inmates with consecutive numbers between #26,190 and #44,163. Most of these files were prepared by Elmira's Classification Clinic or earlier research or psychiatry departments. They consist principally of staff progress reports, psychiatric and psychological reports, reports of intelligence and achievement tests, and various correspondence and memoranda. These classification files were filed separately from the general and medical case files (see description above).

B0131. Admission registers, 1877-1950. R 6 cu. ft. (11 volumes)

These registers contain summary information on each inmate at the time of their admission to Elmira. They contain information on the inmate's crime, length of sentence, physical features, nationality, and religion. Early volumes also contain information on the inmate's occupation and any physical peculiarities.

An online finding aid is available.

B0141. Biographical registers and receiving blotters, 1879-1957. R 210 cu. ft. (169 volumes)

These registers contain two-page summaries on inmates admitted to Elmira. The majority of the information was recorded at the time of admission with only minor notations relating to inmate conduct during confinement and discharge. Included is information on the inmate including family background, nativity and residence, the crime and sentencing, physical characteristics, previous criminal record, date and type of discharge, and subsequent arrests or sentences.

B0125. Daily register of inmates received, transferred, paroled, and discharged, 1877-1883. .3 cu. ft. (1 volume)

This is a daily record of changes in Elmira's inmate population. For each day that a change occurs, the register lists names of inmates that were received, transferred, discharged, paroled, pardoned, escaped, deceased, or returned. The register also includes monthly cumulative totals.

B1270. Inmate receiving register (Classification Clinic), 1936-1949. R .3 cu. ft. (1 volume)

Maintained by Elmira's Classification Clinic, this register contains basic information on each inmate such as name, date received, room number, nativity, religion, and color.

B1111. Inmate receiving register, 1940-1948. .3 cu. ft. (l volume)

This register provides name of inmate and date received.

B0139. Index to inmate consecutive numbers, 1877-1947. 16 cu. ft. (21 volumes)

This index provides name and consecutive number for each inmate, arranged roughly by inmate name.

B1110. Registers of new inmates received by county of sentencing, 1935-1940. .5 cu. ft. (2 volumes)

This register records a new inmate's name, sentencing date, date received, and consecutive number.

B0130. Register of men returned for violation of parole, 1907-1948. R 2 cu. ft. (2 volumes)

For inmates returned for parole violations, this register provides information such as dates of admission and return, date of maximum sentence, crime and county of sentencing, occupation, color, and educational level.

B0136. Biographical register of men returned for parole violations, 1913-1937. R 10 cu. ft. (10 volumes)

For each inmate returned, this register provides two pages of information including the inmate's crime; date paroled and length of parole; the inmate's situation during parole; employment and criminal history of family members; inmate statement on the violation; parole officer's report; and a prognosis on the ability of the inmate to reform.

B0129. Biographical register of federal prisoners, 1902-1934. R 2 cu. ft. (2 volumes)

This register includes information on inmates who were sent to Elmira from federal courts. Included is information on the inmate's crime, sentence, criminal history, family history, program at Elmira, and discharge.

B1000. Inmate nationality register, ca. 1908-1915. .3 cu. ft. (1 volume)

For inmates born in foreign countries, this register lists the inmate's receiving date and nationality. The register provides cumulative totals for numbers of inmates of each nationality. Additional information on the inmate's crime is provided for inmate's of Italian birth.

B0126. Register of new inmates of Italian citizenry, 1915-1930. R .2 cu. ft. (1 volume)

This register lists information on new inmates who were born in Italy. The register contains information such as: year and month received; nature of crime; sentence; city or region in Italy where inmate was born; names of parents; date of birth; and number of years in the United States.

B0128. Inmate nickname register, ca. 1940. 1 cu. ft. (1 volume)

This register contains a record of special nicknames used to identify certain inmates.

B0135. Ledger of monthly and cumulative statistics on the inmate population, 1915-1923. .3 cu. ft. (1 volume)

This ledger contains a monthly and yearly statistical profile of Elmira inmates. The ledger lists the total number of inmates under the following categories: type of offense; length of maximum sentence; county of sentencing; occupation; personal characteristics (e.g., age, marital status, education, mental level, color and ethnicity, and use of alcohol). There are also general statistics containing numbers of inmates admitted, discharged, paroled, returned, etc.

B0140. Ledgers relating to inmate education, labor, and conduct, 1886-1905. 21 cu. ft. (40 volumes)

This series records each inmate's performance in Elmira's elaborate marking system. For each inmate, there is a ledger page that includes information on the inmate's crime, proposed trade, work assignment, names of classes taken, and military squad. For each category, there are totals of "debits" and "credits" earned by the inmate. The ledger was maintained until the inmate was paroled or released.

B0134. Examining physicians' memoranda file, 1918-1928. 1 cu. ft. (1 volume)

This consists of copies of approximately 3,000 short memoranda from physicians to Elmira officials usually recommending care or ending of care for an inmate patient.

B0137. Daily log of morning and afternoon inmate counts, 1928-1952. 12 cu. ft. (12 volumes)

This is a record of the twice daily count of Elmira's inmate population. The log lists approximately 100 work areas, education classes, and other areas with the total number of inmates at each.

B0138. Daily log relating to evening and night guard duty, 1945-1957. R 4 cu. ft. (4 volumes)

This log records daily activities of guards. It lists the date, name of officer, temperature, and remarks regarding any unusual events, incidents, inmate sickness, disciplinary measures, etc.

A0636. Annual reports and handbooks, ca. 1880-1920. 2 cu. ft.

This series contains printed annual reports and handbooks prepared by Elmira'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 at Napanoch. These reports include information on both institutions.

B1001. Inmate newspaper (The Summary), 1956-1958. .2 cu. ft.

This consists of copies of the newspaper, The Summary, printed by and for Elmira inmates.