Department of Corrections. Inmate Services Prison commitment registers, 1875-2002.

These logs are used to record information when an inmate is first admitted to prison. Personal information includes inmate's name, physical description, religion, education, birthplace, and occupation. Beginning in 1889, a photograph of the inmate accompanied this information. Criminal information includes the crime, sentence, discharge date, and prison record. Beginning in 1982, this log was also used as a back-up to the Offender Based Criminal Identification System (OBCIS). As the only facility in the corrections system, the State Prison was the creator from 1875-1982.

A consistent numbering pattern for entries gradually becomes established in book "D," which is the first book containing pictures. The first prison number written in this book is 551 (p. 12) and numbers after that are fairly consistent. On page 106 and 107 earlier numbers are entered 395-689, but on page 108 it picks back up where the numbering on 105 left off. The book covers admissions from 1889 to 1908, and manyprisoners who are entered in earlier books are reentered into this one; therefore, there are quite a few duplicate entries and overlapping of admission dates between book A,B,C and book D. These entries often include references to page numbers in an earlier book; the duplicate entries are usually recorded for criminals convicted of serious crimes, who were still serving sentences when the new book was opened. By the end of book "D" entries are being made in order, both chronologically and by prison number, and this pattern continues. In the last book of archival holdings (reel 10) a few odd numbers are scattered throughout i.e., 11845A.

Upper front view pictures of the prisoners appear from 1889 through 1900. Upper front and side view pictures appear from 1900 through 1959. Upper front and side view pictures along with a full front body view appear from 1959 through 1976. Admission records for some prisoners have been expunged. Identifying data such as the name of the prisoner,picture, prison number, residence, relatives, place of birth, and date of birth have been concealed.

Many of the entries include the following data: name and age of prisoner, place and date of birth; physical characteristics; marks and scars; occupation; education; religion; nativity; relatives; marital status; habits of life (temperate/intemperate, peculiarities); aliases; crime resulting in imprisonment; trial and court data; dates of confinement; criminal history; copper allowed; date of discharge and whether paroled or sentence was terminated; and remarks. The item "copper allowed" referred to obtaining credit for good behavior.