Albion State Training School Introductory Training Course for Matrons

The series consists of a copy of an introductory course manual for matrons of custodial institutions, prepared by the Central Guard School of the Department of Correction with cooperation and assistance of the superintendent and staff of the Albion State Training School. This is apparently a copy of the manual used at training sessions at Albion. As product of the first organized training course for female personnel, the manual represents the start of providing in-service training for all corrections workers. Organized personnel training in the Department of Corrections dated from about 1930, when a brief training course for guards was given in various institutions.

The manual covers course work including policies, administration, and organization of the department; brief histories of the various institutions; rules, regulations, and general and special orders; work of the various departments of the institution (custodial supervision, medical and health service, nursery, classification, mail censorship, farm, kitchen, etc.); employee discipline and morale; functions and duties of matrons (custody, supervision, and training of inmates); the program of education and treatment of inmates (characteristics of the inmate population at Albion, organization of the school, and the vocational, avocational, and other curricular content of the program); parole procedures (including an appendix of case studies); and a history of penal programs in New York and elsewhere.

This accession resulted from a project by Archives staff in 1997 to accession or refile estrayed or unidentified records.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.