Clinton Prison Inmate Admission Ledgers

Chronological by admission date.

Admission ledgers provide summary background information on each inmate.

A ledger for 1846 and 1851-1866 provides name, county in which convicted, date of conviction, nature of crime, country or state of birth, distinguishing physical characteristics (age, race if black, height, color of eyes and hair, complexion, scars, tattoos, etc.), and date admitted into the prison. Some contain notes on death or pardon of inmates. Convictions are mostly from the northern and eastern parts of the state.

"Receiving Blotters" for years 1926-1939 also contain entries for each inmate received providing name, alias, race, date of sentence, date of admission, court received from, name of judge, plea, crime, term of sentence, jail time, date of eligibility for parole, age, occupation, state or county of birth, year of arrival in U.S., nativity and nationality of parents, marital status, height, habits ("moderate, temperate, intemperate"), use of drugs and tobacco, state of health, education (literacy), language spoken, number of years of schooling, grade reached, technical education, college, religion, frequency of church attendance, employment, salary, whether self-supporting, residence when arrested, name and address of nearest relative, and reason given by inmate for criminal acts ("intoxicated," "foolishness," "innocent," "evil companions," etc.). There is also a criminal history giving name of previous institution, name of alias used, inmate number, date, term, crime, how discharged, and date of discharge. At the end of the entry is a list of articles taken from the inmate on reception and deposited in the chief clerk's office, the name of the person taking the record, date, and signature of inmate (often lacking). Beginning in 1931 the ledgers also provide: nature of crime and any accomplices, birth date, city of birth of inmate and parents, age of inmate when his parents died, number of brothers and sisters, sequence in family, employment record (last three employers, dates of work, type of work, wage), residence when arrested, and legal residence.

Portions of the series are digitized and are available to New York State residents for free on Ancestry.com New York. You must sign up for a free account to access these records without a paid subscription. To learn more, go to How to Use Ancestry.com New York

Summary information on adult inmates is disclosable under law. State Archives staff will review records containing probation, parole, medical, and juvenile criminal history data and disclose information pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law and Personal Privacy Protection Law. The identity of victims of sex crimes is not disclosable. Unless a specific law forbids disclosure indefinitely, all records must be disclosed after 75 years.