Power Library - Pennsylvania's Electronic Library Pennsylvania's Electronic Library PA's
Electronic
Library

Monthly record books of admissions and discharges to the Eastern State Penitentiary. For admissions the information provided is admission date, inmate number, race, age at admission, more gender, physical and mental health, habits, marital status, smallpox vaccination status, hereditary diseases in the family, number of convictions, length of sentence, amount of time spent in county jail, place of birth, and occupation. Discharge information is name of inmate, inmate number, date discharged, race, age when discharged, gender, physical and mental health at time of discharge, health during imprisonment, length of time served, and remarks. Images are arranged chronologically by month. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Bertillon books for inmates incarcerated at the Western State Penitentiary.  Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, length and width of head, length of left more middle finger, length of left foot, length of left forearm, height, width of trunk, length of outstretched arms, length of right ear, and length of left little finger.  (While working with offenders detained in Paris’s Palais de Justice in 1882, Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914) used statistical methods to devise a system of bodily measurement intended to identify criminal characteristics.  Bertillon’s methods involved photographing each subject looking directly at the camera and in profile with the camera centered on the right ear.  The subject’s height, length of one foot, arm, and index finger were also recorded.  By the 1890s, Bertillon also recognized that fingerprints provided a means for unique identification of individuals.  Though many scientists, including Francis Galton, criticized on statistical grounds Bertillon’s system of measuring the hands, head, torso, face and limbs as a method of identifying criminal characteristics, the records generated nonetheless proved useful for identifying and keeping track of specific individuals convicted of crimes.) Images are arranged chronologically by inmate number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Records of commitment of prisoners to the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is commitment number, name of person committed, county and court in which tried, crime more of which convicted, sentence imposed, citation of indictment, and signature of the clerk of court. Images are arranged numerically by commitment number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Recommendations sent to the Governor by the Board of Pardons for granting commutation or parole.  A commutation is the changing of a penalty to a more lesser punishment by the pardoning power while a parole is a conditional release of a prisoner having an indeterminate or unexpired sentence.  Information provided is date of recommendation, name of inmate recommended for commutation or parole, the text of the opinion of the Parole Board recommending commutation or parole and the commutation or parole number. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. The first volume indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of inmate and the other two volumes by institution. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. less

Record books of commutations granted to inmates incarcerated at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information given is date of reception, prisoner number, name of prisoner, age, race, more place of birth, number of convictions, location of court in which sentenced, nature of crime for which convicted, date and length of sentence, amount of time expired, date of expiration by commutation, and remarks. Images are arranged chronologically by date of reception. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record books of commutations granted to inmates incarcerated at Western State Penitentiary.  Information provided is prisoner number, name of inmate, dates transferred to or returned from more Rockview where applicable, date sentenced, length of sentence, sentence expiration date by commutation, date returned for any violation and sentence imposed for such violation, date of any re-parole, and date of final discharge. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Affidavits signed by inmates received at Eastern State Penitentiary acknowledging the property in their possession at the time of admission.  Information provided is affidavit number, name more of inmate, date received, crime and county of conviction, description of any property in his possession, and signature of the warden. Also included are documents found within affidavit book (1839-1850), including bills of goods sold to the Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP); a list of promissory notes owed to the prison fund as reported by treasurer John Bacon; Court of Quarter Session documents outlining crimes and punishments for men being committed to ESP; extracts from Report of the Chief of the Detective Police and the minutes of the Board of Inspectors, as well as several letters. Correspondence includes a letter from night watchmen to ESP Board of Inspectors requesting a pay increase and a letter from Governor Curtin's personal secretary requesting information on a prisoner's behavior and health in relation to an application of pardon on his behalf. Images are arranged chronologically by date signed by inmate. Miscellaneous documents unarranged. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Daily inmate population statistical reports for Western State Penitentiary.  Information provided is date of report, number of inmates in the old prison, number of inmates in more the new prison, number of prisoners received and released, number of prisoners and vacant cells in each block, and the number of night battery men and patients and night nurses in the hospital.  Also given is number of inmates employed in weaving, clothing, brush, broom, steward, construction, electric, hospital, shoes and tailor, Dept. #17, yard, home, battery, north block, and south block occupations, the number excused by the warden, the number excused by the resident physician and the total number employed. Images are arranged chronologically by date of report. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record book of the Board of Pardons for capital cases. Information provided is name of inmate, inmate number, county, date warrant issued, date of execution, date more certificate of execution filed and remarks that general provide dates of applications to Pardon Board, issuance of new warrants, and commutations. Images are arranged chronologically by date of death warrant. Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection have been digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. less

This collection contains Board of Pardons reviews of criminal cases, except impeachment, to determine whether clemency should be recommended to the Governor for his or her more approval or disapproval. While the United States' Constitution grants the President of the United States the power to grant pardons, in Pennsylvania the pardoning power is shared between the Board of Pardons and the Governor. The Board of Pardons consists of five members including the Lieutenant Governor who serves as chairman, the Attorney General, and three members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. This collection contains applications made to, and proclamations issued by, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. Grouped into applications and proclamations and then arranged chronologically by date of action. The applications volumes provide brief narrative case histories and recommendations for pardons or commutations and whether the pardons or commutations were granted. Volume 1 covering the period 1874-1877 provides reasons why the Pardon Board made its recommendations while for the period 1882-1930 records of commutation actions are included. The last volume covering the period 1931-1934 contains mostly commutation records with only a few pardon actions. The proclamation volumes provide the Board's recommendations and reasons for its judgments. less

Discharge books for the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, age at discharge, race, gender, crime for which sentenced, county where more sentenced, date sentenced, length of sentence imposed, date discharged, how discharged, length of time served, occupation while in prison, education received while in prison, weight when received and when discharged, amount earned by inmate in overwork, amount paid on discharge, and place of intended residence. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Descriptive discharge dockets for inmates released from the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided name of prisoner, prisoner number, weight, age at time of discharge, gender, crime more of which convicted, sentence imposed, date of sentencing, date of discharge, method of discharge, duration incarcerated, occupation practiced, education received while incarcerated, intended place of residence after release, and amount of money received upon discharge.  From 1892, the name of the county responsible for sending the inmate to the penitentiary is given and also occasionally the date the prisoner may have been returned to custody.  Sometimes noted is the amount of property owned by the inmate and the inmate’s weight at time received and when discharged. Images are arranged chronologically by date of discharge. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

An index of prisoners admitted to the Western State Penitentiary. Although the exact dates of the index are not known, it appears to cover inmates from more the mid-1930s to the early 1950s. The information provided is the name of each inmate, the assigned inmate number, and any additional notes, such as new inmate numbers assigned. Images are arranged alphabetically by surname of the inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Letters sent to and mailed from prisoners incarcerated at Eastern State Penitentiary (also known as Cherry Hill Prison). Correspondents are usually friends and family members. Topics more include parole, family and financial concerns, illnesses, and daily activities. Images are unarranged. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record books of medical statistics kept on the inmate population by resident physicians at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided is name of inmate, date of more reception, inmate number, race, gender, general physical health, general condition of mental health, description of habits, vaccines received, hereditary diseases in the family, number of convictions, place of birth, occupation, and remarks. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Inspectors and Board of Trustees of the Eastern State Penitentiary.  From 1927 these volumes also include entries relating more to Graterford. Information provided is basic operating policies, administrative and fiscal decisions rendered by the Boards, correspondence with the Warden, treasurer reports, statements of receipts and expenditure, and prison population tabulations. Images are arranged chronologically by date of meeting. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection have been digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. less

Minutes of the monthly meetings of the Western State Penitentiary Board of Trustees. The minutes are not verbatim, but rather are merely summaries of the proceedings. more Each set of minutes gives the names of the board members present. Matters discussed at each meeting include recommendations made to the governor to parole certain inmates. Other topics discussed are parole violators and delinquents, requisitions, personnel matters, and funding and construction issues for the Western State Penitentiary and Rockview Prison. At the start of each meeting the previous month's minutes were reviewed and approved. The signature of the secretary officially marks the end of each meeting's minutes. Images are arranged chronologically by date of meeting. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Records of paroles and respites granted by the Governor under the provisions of the Act of 1909 and subsequent acts and of paroles revoked. Information provided more is name of warden, name of penitentiary, name of inmate paroled or respited, crime for which sentenced, penalty imposed, date parole or respite was issued, period of respite in capital cases, and reason for a revocation of parole. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. Indexed internally, alphabetically by name of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. less

Date of discharge book for paroled inmates at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided is age, race, gender, county, crime for which convicted, minimum and maximum more sentence, number of convictions, fine, date received, date discharged, date sentenced, date minimum sentence expired, date maximum sentence expired, any dates returned from parole and comments. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Statistical record book of inmates paroled from Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is parole number, register number, race, violations, recommitments, deaths, other prisons in which incarcerated, more whether discharged, whether pardoned, and whether in the army or other institutions.  Also given is a breakdown of the inmate population by native or foreign born. Images are arranged numerically by parole number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Index of prisoners confined at the Western State Penitentiary.Information provided is name of inmate and the sequentially assigned inmate number. Images are grouped chronologically by volume more and arranged thereunder alphabetically by surname of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record book of inmates paroled and discharged from the Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, date sentenced, calculated times for minimum more and maximum sentence, dates for expiration of the calculated minimum and maximum sentences, date released, date returned for any parole violation, maximum sentence imposed for any parole violation, date of final discharge. Images are arranged numerically by inmate number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Descriptive books for prisoners received at Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, date received, age, race, gender, county, crime for which more convicted, minimum and maximum sentence, number of convictions, fine, date received, date sentenced, date minimum sentence expired, and date maximum sentence expired. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record book of the Board of Pardons for capital cases. Information provided is name of inmate, inmate number, county, date warrant issued, date of execution, date more certificate of execution filed and remarks that general provide dates of applications to Pardon Board, issuance of new warrants, and commutations. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. Indexed internally, alphabetically by name of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. less

Visitor registers for the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is date of visit, name of visitor and their place of residence. Images are arranged chronologically by more date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, notices, photographs, and related materials concerning the Eastern State Penitentiary. Images are arranged chronologically by date of item. This collection is part more of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Time books for sentences of inmates at Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided is, inmate number, crime for which convicted, sentence imposed, date sentenced, number of years more and months served, and number of convictions. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Register of visitors to Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is date of visit, name of visitor, from whence visitor arrived, and destination of the visitor. Images more are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Daily journals kept by the wardens of the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is daily account of activities in the facility including reception and discharge of more prisoners. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Daily journals kept by the warden of the Western State Penitentiary containing descriptions of all activities and transactions in the prison. Images are arranged chronologically by more date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less