Series III. Subseries C. Annual Reports, 1877-1942.

Containers:

Box 389-390.

Scope and content:

This subseries is housed in two (2) boxes and is arranged chronologically. This subseries contains copies of the Board's Annual Report. The reports were compiled by the Board of Directors for the Office of the Governor and include reports by the Superintendent (Penitentiary and State Farm), Surgeon (Penitentiary and State Farm) and State Convict Road Force depending upon time period. The reports include financial information as well as prisoner-related information and statistics. Tables accompanying the reports often provide additional information on prisoners in the Penitentiary or related bodies (State Farm, State Convict Road Force, etc.), including number of prisoners, socio-economic background of prisoners, list of escaped prisoners, pardons and deaths, births in Penitentiary, and names of children in Penitentiary. Financial statements detail the costs of operating the Penitentiary, State Farm and State Convict Road Force. Other topics include recommendations for capital improvements, overcrowded conditions, hiring out convict labor to private companies and convict labor within the walls of the Penitentiary. This is not a comprehensive collection of Annual Reports. Researchers will need to check the Library's card catalog for those that are missing. The pre-Civil War reports can be found as documents within the Journal of the House of Delegates or Executive Communications of the Speaker of the House of Delegates (see accession 36912). Annual Reports for the Penitentiary (1860s forward) were separate publications (call number HV8366.A31).

Access and use

Contents