Elmira Reformatory Daily Log Relating to Guard Duty

Chronological by date.

B0138-03: These three volumes list the weekday work assignments of guards at Elmira Reformatory during the period from October 1933 to August 1938. Assignments are listed for up to eighty locations in the institution including cellblocks, cage floor, school, sentry posts, wall guards, gymnasium, mess hall, clinic, automobile shop, blacksmith shop, and paint shop. Columns are available in the volumes to list a.m. and p.m. assignments for each location, but only the a.m. column is used. Absences due to illness, vacation, or state business and changes to the duty log, including substitutions, are recorded in a separate column. Format varies slightly in volume 3.

B0138-80: This log records daily activities of guards at Elmira from June 1, 1945 to December 25, 1957. (There is a gap in the log from September 26, 1949 to March 21, 1952.) The log covers two daily guard tours: No. 2 tour (4 p.m. to midnight) and No. 3 tour (midnight to 8 a.m.).

For each of the two tours, the log includes the following information: officer completing report; officer approving report; date; list of guard posts and name of guard on duty at the post (e.g., Cage Floor "D" - Smith; Center Gate - Harrigan; Post 1 - Boyce; Vacation - Hasler, Baker); remarks regarding any unusual events, incidents, disciplinary measures, etc. (for example: Officer Smith investigated outside barns at 1:00 a.m.); and temperature at three times during the tour.

Volume list is available at the repository.

B0138-03: These volumes were transferred to the State Archives from Elmira Correctional Facility at an unknown date. They were accessioned in conjunction with a project undertaken by Archives staff in 2003 to describe or integrate estrayed or unidentified records.

Portions of the series are restricted to protect personal privacy. Access may be permitted under certain conditions upon approval by the State Archives.