These are minutes and meeting files of the various prison boards, dating from 1881 to 1885, and 1900 to 2004. Minutes are present for the State Penitentiary Board, Board of Prison Commissioners, Texas Prison Board, Board of Corrections, and the Board of Criminal Justice. Some of the minutes and meeting files contain letters; copies of leases, easements, or contracts considered by the board; statistical reports on the inmate population; committee reports; reports by the executive director and division directors; board policies; and rules and regulations. The minutes also contain resolutions by the board, generally regarding the death of board members, prison officials, or citizens connected to the prison system. In the 1881-1885 volume of minutes, copies of some documents prepared by the State Penitentiary Board were transcribed at the back of the volume, starting on page 199.

The minutes from 1974 forward also have meeting agenda that usually contain summaries of items to be discussed. Attachments, such as those discussed above, are filed with the agenda, followed by the minutes. Also present are minutes and agenda of the Board of Trustees of the Windham School District, the school district run by the Department of Criminal Justice for inmates, dating 1970-1999. The school district minutes are filed separately from the Board of Corrections/Board of Criminal Justice minutes through 1976, then filed following the Board's minutes for each meeting beginning in 1977. The minutes of the Board's Substance Abuse Subcommittee for 1991-1992 are also present, filed with the minutes of the Board.

Topics of board meetings have varied over the years. Subjects include: the financial status of the prisons, accounts approvals, legislative committee investigations, rules and regulations, appointments, purchasing, reinstatement of guards and other personnel changes, real estate issues, leasing of convict labor, conveying convicts to the penitentiaries, conditions at the prisons and prison farms, authorizing whipping of specific inmates, deaths of inmates, escapes of inmates, transferring inmates between prison units, inmate complaints, inmate educational needs (including high school, college, and vocational education), inmate recreational needs (including books, films, and athletic events such as boxing, baseball, and the Texas Prison Rodeo), constructing new units, improving existing units, agricultural production, prison industries, health and sanitation conditions of the inmates, incidents in prison units of inmates refusing to eat or work, and riots. Special situations are also discussed. These situations have included permission to make a documentary of parolees and their prison experience; requests to write stories about the electric chair and men on death row; and the use of volunteer inmates in burn-related plastic surgery experiments, in psychiatric experiments, and in the use of new medical procedures.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go the full finding aid - Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Minutes and meeting files. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found in a separate divider within the binder.

This is a letter-press book containing monthly reports prepared by the superintendent of the state penitentiary for the governor. Reports in this volume date from May 1881 to November 1883. The superintendent reported to the governor biennially and at the end of each month on the condition at the state penitentiary. The monthly reports consist of a cover letter to the governor giving a brief narrative summary of the activities over the past month and several statistical tables, including the number of convicts received; lists of convicts discharged, pardoned, escaped, recaptured, died, and hospitalized; clothing and other provisions issued; transportation vouchers paid; and the number of convicts on hand during the month, including a breakdown by location. The data reported includes the state penitentiary and all the outside camps where convicts were housed.

Beginning in 1883, data is provided for Rusk penitentiary. Following the February 1882 monthly report is a lengthy narrative on the conditions at the penitentiary, seemingly written as part of the biennial report to the Governor. The writing is badly faded and cannot be read in places. At the back of the volume are pages listing United States prisoners housed in the state penitentiary in 1882 and 1883.

Additional monthly statistics on the convicts received and discharged, and on the classification of convicts, or inmates, can be found in the series Statistical record ledgers. Letter copies of the monthly reports that were sent by the superintendent to the governor during the period ca. 1875-1882, can be found in a collection of records held by the Archives and Information Services Division, Records Relating to the Penitentiary, in the series, Reports, Superintendent. Later monthly reports, dating 1914-1916 and 1931-1932, can be found in the finding aid, Miscellaneous reports of the Texas prison system.

This series consists of two letter press books containing copies of outgoing letters of the State Penitentiary Board, dating from April 1883 to April 1889. They reflect the activities of the penitentiary board in the prison's management. Missing are incoming letters to the board. These letters document a wide range of penitentiary affairs including routine actions such as appointments, and special activities, such as the construction of the state capitol. The volumes contain acknowledgements, responses to requests, appointments, approval of reports and actions of prison officials, and financial transactions. The letters are signed by the secretary of the board and each volume has an index to correspondents. Subjects covered include transportation of convicts to the prison, contracting for convict labor, offers and purchase of land for state farms, and construction work done by convicts for the state capitol.

This series consists of administrative correspondence and subject files from the executive director's office, dating 1961-1962, 1967-1969, 1974-1976. The earlier files primarily cover the period when Dr. George Beto served as director, from 1962 to 1972; the 1974-1976 files are from the term of W.J. Estelle, Jr. Materials found within these files include incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, acknowledgements, invitations, directives to farm or program managers, clippings, graduation materials for inmates receiving their GED (announcements, programs, speaking invitations, etc.), and a self-study report on the Windham School District. The most extensively covered topics in these records include agriculture production and education. Other issues covered to a lesser degree, mainly in the miscellaneous correspondence files, include alcoholic counseling, building a prison in West Texas, complaints about conditions, victim compensation, prisoner exchanges with Mexico, the prison rodeo, and choosing a new director for the prison in 1962. Correspondents include the executive director, assistant directors, wardens, other state agencies, local officials, universities, and the general public.

These records represent only a small part of the directors' files that were briefly inspected by an archivist in 1995 on site in Huntsville. At that time, there were an estimated 80 to 100 cubic feet of similar records from the office, dating ca. 1960-1980s. When this series was reviewed again in 1997, most of the records present in 1995 had been destroyed. The materials remaining are clearly incomplete: one group of records dates from 1961 to 1962, 1967 to 1969 and covers A-F of the filing system, and the other group of two cubic feet of loose materials contains mostly unfoldered materials from 1974 to 1976.

Three other administrative correspondence series, Administrative correspondence, Board of Corrections; Administrative correspondence, insanity of inmates; and Administrative correspondence, Assistant Director for Special Services contain records from the 1950s to the 1980s. Another series, Administrative policy files, contains directives and policies from the 1960s-1980s, similar to the ones found in these records, but of a more administrative nature.

This series contains correspondence with the members of the Board of Corrections, dating from 1949, 1955, 1958 to 1964, 1967 to 1974, and 1976. The files from the 1960s largely contain outgoing letters to individual Board members, either from the secretary of the Board, the prison's executive director, or from the assistant directors in the prison administration--Assistant Directors for Treatment, for Construction and Industry, for Agriculture, and for Business and Custody. The files of Chairman H.H. Coffield also contain some outgoing letters, mostly to prison officials or other board members. The chairman of the board for the bulk of these years was H.H. Coffield. His correspondence files are present for 1958-1964, with very little available for 1959. The director in 1959 was O.B. Ellis. He served until his death in 1961 and was succeeded in 1962 by Dr. George Beto. A file also exists for most years containing copies of letters sent to all Board members. Included with Coffield's files are two packets of easements, one for a highway right of way, the other for an electric power distribution line. Topics include notices of meetings, conditions at the prisons, escapes, inmate deaths, experiments using inmates, the Texas Prison Rodeo, leasing or selling of TDC land, treatment reports, construction progress reports, incident reports, disciplinary reports, purchases, budget, personnel changes, and summaries of decisions made at board meetings. Board members served on particular committees (such as Treatment) and correspondence sent to them would usually concern actions taken or needing to be taken by their committee. Also present for some years is a folder entitled Staff meetings, which contains memoranda between the director and the assistant directors concerning activities in their divisions. There is one audio cassette of a March 1976 board meeting. The tape has not been played and its condition is unknown.

The files from the 1970s contain incoming and outgoing letters to board members, generally between the member and the director, Dr. George Beto until 1972, then, W.J. Estelle, Jr. Topics include notices of upcoming meetings; topics to be discussed at the next meeting; leasing land for oil and gas exploration; prison incidents, such as inmates' refusal to work or riots; agriculture production; policy changes; racism, especially in hiring and placement of minority employees; research activities of the Research, Planning, and Development Division; reactions to prison-related incidents in other states, such as the Attica riots; and legislative changes affecting prison management.

Some discussion of the topics in both sets of files can be found in the minutes of the Board of Corrections, see the series (a separate TDCJ finding aid) Minutes and meeting files.

These records represent only a small part of the directors' files that were briefly inspected by an archivist in 1995 on site in Huntsville. At that time, there were an estimated 80 to 100 cubic feet of similar records from the office, dating ca. 1960-1980s. When this series was reviewed again in 1997, most of the records present in 1995 had been destroyed. The records remaining include two cubic feet of correspondence with Board members (1955, 1958-1964) and one wallet of similar correspondence (1970-1974) found in a filing cabinet housed with the Texas Prison Archives. In 2003 a box of correspondence of the Board of Corrections, mostly the files of Chairman H.H. Coffield (1958-1964, 1967-1970, 1976), was transferred to the Archives.

Three other administrative correspondence series in this finding aid, Administrative correspondence and subject files; Administrative correspondence, insanity of inmates; and Administrative correspondence, Assistant Director for Special Services contain records from the 1950s to the 1980s.

This series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence, questionnaires, reports from other state and federal prison institutions, and other publications, dating 1950-1954 and 1960-1965. These materials concern treatment for the criminally insane. In 1950, the Texas Prison Board, later the Department of Corrections, began considering building a hospital for the treatment of the criminally insane. They solicited input through questionnaires sent to other state and federal prison facilities on how other such hospitals or the treatment of insane inmates were handled. The files include the returned surveys, correspondence, a summary of the survey findings, and a report prepared by director O.B. Ellis for the governor and legislature. In 1954 the Texas Research League interviewed O.B. Ellis and other staff for a report on the treatment of the criminally insane. In the 1960s, the correspondence concerns the treatment of insane inmates and a proposal to merge the Department of Corrections hospital with a hospital run by the University of Texas (UT) Medical Branch in Galveston.

Correspondents in this series include the prison director, O.B. Ellis (1950s) and Dr. George Beto (1960s), prison officials in the federal government and in other states, architects, the American Prison Association, the Texas Research League, Board of Corrections members, and UT Medical Branch personnel. Some discussion of this topic can be found in the minutes of the Board of Corrections, see the series Minutes and meeting files.

Three other administrative correspondence series, Administrative correspondence and subject files; Administrative correspondence, Board of Corrections; and Administrative correspondence, Assistant Director for Special Services contain records from the 1960s to the 1980s.

This series consists of correspondence and memoranda from the assistant director for special services, Dan V. McKaskle, dating 1969-1983 (bulk 1973-1983). During this period W.J. Estelle, Jr. served as executive director of the Department of Corrections. Dan McKaskle was appointed as the executive director in 1983. Files in this series contain correspondence with the Board of Corrections, correspondence with the special master (handling Ruiz-related concerns), files of the general counsel, staff meeting agendas, and memoranda from the executive director, generally sent to all assistant directors, or the assistant directors and the wardens. Topics discussed include meeting notices for Board meetings or warden meetings, appointments, inmate requests to Board members (to review their case, to get transferred to a different unit, etc.), inmate complaints, memos concerning recent rule or policy changes, legislative issues, Ruiz-initiated changes or concerns, attorney visitations, inmate legal services, and incidents occurring at the prison. Correspondents include the executive director, Mr. McKaskle, Board members, the special master, general counsel, attorney general's office, and inmates or their families.

The Special Services Division was created in 1973 following an agency reorganization. It included photography, identification, inmate classification, personnel, and data processing functions. These functions today are part of the Institutional Division's duties.

Three other administrative correspondence series, Administrative correspondence and subject files; Administrative correspondence, Board of Corrections, and Administrative correspondence, insanity of inmates; contain records from the 1950s to the 1970s.

This series contains policy changes and directives issued primarily by the executive director, although some were issued by the assistant director for special services or the assistant director for general counsel. A few administrative directives are also present from staff such as the accountant concerning job specific procedures. Dates covered are 1959-1984. Topics covered in these policy files include inmate affairs (such as health and medical care, work assignments, attorney visits, legal documents, education, recreation, mail, institutional transfers, good time, disciplinary procedures, medical and emergency reprieves, and the pre-release program), administrative and fiscal management, research, construction, business, industry, and personnel. Occasionally copies of rules or regulations related to a specific policy accompany the policy change notice. Some policies were directed to all staff, some just to wardens, some just to the assistant directors, and others to various combinations of staff. The executive directors during this period were Dr. George Beto, 1962-1972, and W.J. Estelle, Jr., 1972-1983. Dan McKaskle, assistant director for special services, took over as director late in 1983.

There are three sets of files. The first set contains two notebooks of policy directives, known as the Texas Department of Corrections Directive's Manual. These directives were generally issued by the executive directors. The first folder contains a table of contents. Sections missing from this manual are Personnel; Security, Safety, and Sanitation; Food Service Policies; and Correctional Industries Programs. Sections present are General Administration and Management; Fiscal and Logistical Management; Inmate Affairs; Research; and Construction. Dates of records in this set are 1961-1976. These files are ordered by topic, then date within the folders.

The next set consists of a set of policies, known as Directives, ordered by the issuer, then chronological by year issued. This set includes a table of policies (or directives) issued to wardens, keyed to the chronological sequence, and an index or table of policies issued by the Board of Corrections--the book and volume they are keyed to is unknown. Most of these directives were issued by the executive directors. A few were issued by D.V. McKaskle, Assistant Director for Special Services and by Robert E. De Long, Jr., Assistant Director for General Counsel. Dates covered are 1963-1983.

The last set of files known as Administrative directives and policy files, consists of policies ordered by topic, containing policies on some topics missing from the first set of files. Also present in some of the files is administrative policy memos, rules, and regulations for some of the TDC units. One directive is accompanied by an instructor's training manual. Most of these directives were issued by the executive director. Dates of these files are 1959-1984.

A related series containing policy manuals and rules and regulations is the series Rules, regulations, policy and procedural manuals.

This series contains several policy and procedural manuals used by the Department of Criminal Justice and its predecessors, dating 1947-1991. These manuals contain the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures established by the agency's governing boards, for use in the management and operation of the prison system. Some were policy or procedural manuals designed for use by employees; others were publications issued to inmates containing the rules, regulations, and procedures they were required to follow. Most of the manuals cover the operation of the entire prison system. A few cover specific functions, that is, Officers Training Guide (1962), Prerelease Manual (ca. 1971), Rules and Regulations of the Diagnostic Center (1969), TDC Disciplinary Rules and Procedures (1984), and Amended Use of Force Plan (1985). Administrative policy changes, and rules and policies for some of the individual prison units can be found in the series Administrative policy files.

This is a series of programs developed by the agency with funds provided by the Texas Criminal Justice Council for use in training employees. Each program set contains a slide show, audio tape, transcript/guide for use with the audio and visual materials. Most sets also contain specialized instruction guides. The materials themselves are undated, but slides containing printed publications show dates of 1973, so the programs were likely created between 1973 and 1975. These are specialized training programs dealing with the corrections industry. Most of the programs consist of multi-volume sets, with each volume discussing different topics within that program. Programs present in this training series are Communications, Contraband, Counseling, Criminal Justice, Legal Aspects of Corrections, Legal Aspects of Emergency Situations, Officer-Inmate Relations, Prison Management, Race Relations, and Treatment. As an example, the outline for a volume in the

Treatment program is: Introduction to treatment Commutation law State approved trusty (trustee) Point incentive program Inmate T. Jones.

The outline for a volume in the Legal aspects of Corrections program is: Dual court system The Supreme Court State and Federal Courts Relationship of Courts Role of Courts.

Two of the transcripts and specialized instruction books are missing - programs 4 and 9 from the set Legal Aspects of Corrections. Two audio cassettes are missing -- program 4 from Legal Aspects of Corrections and program 1 from Treatment. The slides for program 4 from Legal Aspects of Corrections are missing.

The slides consist of outlines of the program as well as numerous images of inmates, guards, and objects in the prison. The slides are an integral part of the training sets but also have some informational value about life in prison. Images shown in the slides include guards and inmates talking; guards talking together; guard towers; guards demonstrating how to use billy clubs; guards in training sessions and classes; guards on horseback; guards in the fields; guards at the rifle range; guards searching for contraband, including views of where contraband could be hidden in the cells or in the inmates' clothing, searching inmates, and searching vehicles; and capturing escaped inmates by setting up road blocks, flagging down cars, etc. Some views of inmates include inmates at work, such as working in the fields, the welding shop, or doing data entry; inmates at recreation, such as playing basketball or chess; inmates being taken to farms for work; inmates in classes and at church services; and inmates in the cafeteria. Also present are exterior views of prison buildings, interior shots of cells - with and without inmates -- interior views of the prison hospital, interior views of the machine shops - with and without inmates -- views of commissary items, and views of various types of contraband and drugs. One of the training sets - Counseling, has 16mm films instead of slides accompanying the manuals. The slides for program 4 from Legal Aspects of Corrections are missing.

This series contains court documents and court-ordered reports of the monitors and special master, correspondence, and internal memoranda concerning the Ruiz litigation against the Texas Department of Corrections. Dates covered are 1966, 1978-1987, undated (bulk 1981-1983). Topics covered in these records include administrative segregation, use of force, death row conditions, and the mentally-retarded offender program. The bulk of the materials are reports of the monitors and of the special master. Court documents present are stipulations, reports, orders, and a brief.

The correspondence and memoranda are the administrative files of Richard Hartley, an administrative assistant to director W.J. Estelle, Jr. The files include internal memoranda to department administrators and staff concerning tasks to be completed, changes the department needed to make to fulfill compliance, and new procedures and regulations; correspondence with the Texas Attorney General's office and outside legal counsel concerning various Ruiz-related issues; and working copies of the court opinions and decrees. Some of the materials contain notes in the margins regarding changes, but it is not always clear who made the notes or whether all the changes discussed were actually implemented.

The Archives recently received the Ruiz litigation case files from the TDCJ Office of the General Counsel. The case files are currently unprocessed and are restricted. They are not described in this finding aid.

Additional records can be found in other TDCJ finding aids. In the TDCJ overall finding aid, correspondence with the special master from 1981 to 1983 can be found in the series Administrative correspondence, Assistant Director for Special Services. Additionally, discussions of the Ruiz situation and changes resulting from that litigation can be found in the minutes of the Board of Corrections, later the Board of Criminal Justice, see the series (a separate TDCJ finding aid) Minutes and meeting files. A photograph of David Ruiz can be found in the series (a separate TDCJ finding aid) Photographs, in the subseries Slides and miscellaneous photographic media.

The Texas Attorney General's office was involved with these proceedings and has records from the case on file in its offices. Additionally, some further records on the Ruiz litigation can also be found in the Records of Governor Mark White, Governor's Office files, 1982-1986, Archives and Information Services Division of the Library and Archives Commission.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go the full finding aid - Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Ruiz litigation administrative files and court records. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found in a separate divider within the binder.

This series contains various legal documents and related correspondence, including orders, affidavits, contracts, warranty deeds, deeds of trust, releases of liens, promissory notes, judgements, releases of judgements, easement deeds, resolutions, and a map of the Shaw State Farm. Dates covered are 1906, 1913-1955 (bulk 1915-1935). Topics include purchasing or leasing land for prison farms, primarily the Shaw farm, also the Eastham farm, Harlem farm and others; leasing land for mineral exploration; securing easements; securing judgements; and contracting for gas and electric services. Correspondents include the Board of Prison Commissioners, the Texas Prison Board, the general manager, the cashier, landowners, and oil companies.

Deeds, contracts, and other early legal documents are also present in a collection of records in the Archives and Information Services Division, Records Relating to the Penitentiary, in the series, Legal documents.

These records are internal administrative reports prepared by the Research and Development Division of the Department of Corrections, dating from 1972 to 1976, 1978. Research and development services were designed to help both staff and inmates in solving problems associated with incarceration. Through these services new programs were proposed to help staff adapt to a changing inmate population as the division evaluated existing programs and recommended changes. Most of the reports are collected under two titles with multiple volumes; each volume within the titles contains a number of individual reports. The title with the most volumes is Research and Development Publications, dating 1972-1976. Topics covered in these reports include prison reform, parole considerations, good time laws, work furlough programs, costs of corrections programs, escape prediction, inmate education levels, a synopsis of death row inmates, behavioral and medical analysis of inmates, inmate identification systems, evaluations of weapons detection systems, community-based corrections services, pre-release community services programs, subsequent violations by inmates, extra departmental research, and an overview of the Department of Corrections.

The other title, Research, Planning, and Development Technical Assistance Reports, consists of individual reports published in six volumes, dating 1972, 1974-1976, 1978. These reports are analyses or evaluations of city or county jails, prepared at the request of city/county officials who sought confirmation of compliance with jail standards or advice on what was required for compliance with the standards. The requests were often made by the local officials to the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office, who in turn forwarded the requests to the Department of Corrections. City jails analyzed include Flatonia, Gilmer, and Caldwell; county jails analyzed include Orange County, McLennan County, Hardin County, and Grayson County.

Some of the more widely distributed reports from the Research and Development Division and its successors can be found in the Texas Documents Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Many of the reports in this series were received from the Department of Criminal Justice with extensive mold and mildew damage. The damaged reports were replaced with photocopies and discarded.

The number of volumes in each set often differs from the number of volumes listed on the title page of the sets. For example, the Research and Development Publications for the year 1972 lists reports in volumes 1 and 2 on the title page. In reality, these reports listed are bound in four volumes, not two. The folder inventory lists the reports according to the physical volumes where the reports are housed.

This series contains several publications and reports, most produced by the Department of Criminal Justice or its predecessors, others produced by outside but related entities, such as the Texas Criminal Justice Task Force, dating 1940, 1947, 1975, 1977, 1989, and 1994. Topics of the publications are welfare activities of the Texas Prison Board from 1927 to 1940, improvements needed in the prison system (1947), prison reform (1975), history of the Department of Corrections (1977), activities of the Texas Criminal Justice Task Force (1989), and recidivism (1994).

This series consists of several ledgers or volumes providing summary employment data for guards, sergeants, physicians, and a few other employees working in the Texas prison system during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dates covered in this series are 1893-1939. There are three sets of records. The most numerous are the ledgers titled Guard records, covering the years 1893-1937. There are seven large guard ledgers containing the guard's name, date assigned, prison unit assigned, and date discharged, resigned, suspended, or reinstated. Reasons for discharge and suspension are sometimes noted. Also noted is by whose order the guard was reinstated. A guard discharged or reassigned when a force (a work unit of convicts) was discontinued, is noted as well. Additionally, the first guard ledger has an index in the front of the volume. And, at the back of ledger 1998/038-131, there are several letters from the Prison Board concerning the suspension or release of several guards, dating 1916. The entries in the ledgers are arranged by the date the guard was first assigned.

The vast majority of entries in the guard ledgers are for guards. However, some additional employees are listed in the last two guard ledgers, including wardens, assistant wardens, foremen, managers, stewards, sergeants, physicians, druggists, machinists, and secretaries. It is not known if all other employees of the prison system are included in the ledgers, nor if all the guards employed are included.

There is one ledger labeled Physicians and Sergeants. The first section contains data on physicians, giving name, where from, prison unit assigned, date appointed, date resigned, and monthly salary. It is noted if the force they were with was discontinued. Dates covered for the physicians are 1900-1911. The second section contains data on sergeants, giving name, prison unit assigned, amount of bond paid, and dates appointed, transferred, and discharged. Reasons for discharge are sometimes noted and if a force was discontinued that also was noted. Dates covered for the sergeants are 1898-1911, 1915. Within each section the names are arranged chronologically by date of appointment.

The third set of records consists of two small volumes, one titled Guards discharged, the other titled Record of discharged employees. These volumes serve as indexes to the guard ledgers, giving the guard's (or other employee's) name, date hired, and the volume and page in the ledger where employment information can be found for the guard/employee. Some of the entries list the prison unit assigned, and some give a date of reinstatement, usually including a reason for the reinstatement. These volumes date 1893-1939 and 1893-1935 respectively.

Earlier employment information for guards and other prison employees can be found in a collection of records in the Archives and Information Services Division, Records Relating to the Penitentiary, in the series Pay records, and the series Abstracts and supporting documents. According to a conversation (March 2, 2001) with the Assistant Commissioner of Records and Communication, later employment records, from 1940 to present, are at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

This series consists of ledgers maintained by the Texas Department of Corrections and its predecessors to record personal data and commitment information about convicts entering the Texas prison system. The Archives and Information Services Division holds 29 ledgers covering the years 1849-1954. The indexes to the ledgers show the first convict was assigned number 1 in 1849, which began the A series, with numbers going from 1 to 10,000. (Numbers are listed through 10, 012, but the last twelve numbers were re-issued as 1-12 in the next numbering system.) In 1882, a new numbering system began, the B series, starting again at number 1, continuing through the registers held. A separate ledger with its own numbering system records data on convicts sent to Rusk Penitentiary beginning in 1883 and continuing though 1898. This Rusk Penitentiary ledger also includes data on convicts in the prison system beginning in 1870. These pre-1883 entries are presumably for convicts in the prison system at Huntsville or an outside camp who were transferred to Rusk when that facility opened. Many of the convicts sent to Rusk were later transferred to Huntsville or an outside prison unit (farms, railroad camps, etc.). Those convicts serving time in Huntsville or an outside camp in addition to Rusk have an assigned number from the regular series of convict record ledgers, with a record appearing in those ledgers as well as the Rusk ledger.

The earlier ledgers, those dating from 1849 to 1891, contain the following categories of information: convict's number, name (including aliases), age, height, weight, complexion, eyes, hair, marks on person, marital relations, use of tobacco, habits, education, occupation, nativity (birthplace), time of conviction, offense, terms of imprisonment, county, residence, money, when received, expiration, and remarks. Most of the terms used in some of the categories, such as occupation or offense (e.g., bakers or laborers as types of occupations), are listed in the Categories of information found in the convict record ledgers and statistical record ledgers section of this finding aid. Additionally, in 1863 the ledgers contain entries for prisoners of war kept at Huntsville. There are six prisoners noted, and entries list where they were captured, their nativity, the offense (given as Prisoner of War), the date received, and the year discharged. In 1864, there are about two dozen inmates listed as Military offenders. Their entries contain the same descriptive information as regular prisoners, the crime is Military offender, the term of imprisonment is during war. They were all discharged on February 8, 1865. Also, for the years 1874-1881, the ledgers contain entries for United States prisoners incarcerated in Huntsville. These prisoners were assigned regular prison convict numbers and listed in the numerical sequence with a note United States prisoner - see commitment papers and U.S. prisoners special records. Towards the back of the ledgers, the personal and commitment data is listed for them, in numerical order.

In late 1891, more categories were added to the convict record ledgers. The ledgers dating from late 1891 to 1954 contain the following categories of information: convict's number, name (including aliases), age, height, weight, complexion, eyes, hair, marks on person, marital relations, use of tobacco, habits, education, able to read, able to write, number of years at school, date of birth, birthplace, birthplace of father, birthplace of mother, occupation, time of conviction, offense, terms of imprisonment, county, residence, plea, when received, expiration of sentence, exservice (military), and remarks.

Ledgers from the middle of the twentieth century (1950s-1960s) still at the Department of Criminal Justice contain the same categories of data as those from 1891 to 1954. Information in ledgers after the 1960s may have changed. The dates of the ledgers still in Huntsville are unknown. Researchers need to contact the Institutional Division of the Department of Criminal Justice for further information.

Entries in the ledgers are arranged numerically by convict number. Access to the convict numbers is through a set of alphabetical indexes that provide the convict's name, county, and assigned convict number. The second and third indexes overlap in date coverage with the first index and with each other. When researching convicts prior to 1882, it is necessary check all three indexes for the name sought. The first index dates from 1849 to 1898 and includes convicts sent to Rusk Penitentiary, listing their Rusk convict number and their Huntsville convict number (if they served time in both facilities). The three indexes contain entries from 1849 to 1970.

Information in the convict record ledgers is selected data from the series Inmate records, kept in the Institutional Division of the Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville. A description of this series can be found in the appraisal report of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, on file in the Archives and Information Services Division. According to personnel in Huntsville, the convict record ledgers are the best source for finding descriptions of individual convicts and information regarding their commitment. Also, this data is not restricted, whereas access to the Inmate records in Huntsville is restricted due to confidential materials found within those files.

The convict record ledgers supplement and complement information found in another series, Conduct registers, that contain information on the prison units convicts were assigned to, punishments inflicted, and discharge or pardon information. Some of the information in the convict ledgers can also be found in another series, Statistical record ledgers, that provides a statistical compilation of data (nativity, occupation, crime, term of imprisonment, race, education, etc.) on all the convicts received each month in the prison system. Another series, Miscellaneous convict ledgers, contains additional admittance and discharge information about individual convicts.

The inventory lists the prison numbers and years covered in the ledger. The first ledger is for Rusk with a numbering system different from the rest of the prison population. The next three ledgers have entries for the first numbering system used, from 1 to 10,000 (numbers are listed through 10, 012, but the last twelve numbers were re-issued as 1-12 in the next numbering system); and the next numbering system, 1-131, 135 (last number in these ledgers).

The conduct registers are ledgers maintained by the Texas Department of Corrections and its predecessors to record information about convicts in the Texas prison system. There are 60 ledgers present in this series, dating 1855-ca. 1976 (bulk 1877-1945), consisting of two separate sets.

The first set contains 57 ledgers, covering inmates entering the system during the years 1855-1945 (bulk 1877-1945). Additional dates added to the ledgers go up to 1970, primarily listing subsequent prison assignments, and dates of release or discharge. The indexes to the registers show that the first convict was assigned number 1 in 1849, which began the A series, with numbers going from 1 to 10,000 (numbers are listed through 10,016, but the last sixteen numbers were re-issued as 1-16 in the next numbering system). However, this particular group of registers began in 1855 with the first convict number 207, so entries for the earliest convicts are not present. In 1882, a new numbering system began, the B series, starting again at number 1, continuing throughout the registers held. There was also a separate numbering system for the convicts sent to Rusk Penitentiary, beginning in 1883, continuing though 1898. There are three separate ledgers containing data for the Rusk inmates with their own numbering system. In addition, the Rusk ledgers contain data on convicts in the prison system beginning in 1870. These pre-Rusk, i.e., pre-1883, entries are presumably for convicts in the prison system at Huntsville or an outside camp who were transferred to Rusk when that facility opened. Many of the convicts sent to Rusk were later transferred to Huntsville or an outside prison unit (farms, railroad camps, etc.). Those convicts serving time in Huntsville or an outside camp in addition to Rusk have an assigned number from the regular series of convict record ledgers, with a record appearing in those ledgers as well as the Rusk ledgers.

Information found in the registers includes the convict's number, name (including aliases), county of conviction, prison unit assigned to (Huntsville, prison farm, railroad camp, etc.), any notable punishments, date of discharge, pardon information (date, proclamation number, governor issuing pardon), and other convict numbers the inmate served under (for repeat offenders). These registers are the best source for determining in which prison units individual convicts served their time and when the convicts left the prison system. Additionally, some registers will have a list in the front or rear of the volume, listing inmates in that book who escaped, who were paroled, etc. In the early registers, entries are not present for all convicts. The conduct registers complement information found in another series, Convict record ledgers, that provides personal data and commitment information about the convicts.

Register entries are arranged numerically by convict number. Access to the convict numbers is through a set of alphabetical indexes that provide the convict's name, county, and assigned convict number. The second and third indexes overlap in date coverage with the first index and with each other. When researching convicts prior to 1882, it is necessary to check all three indexes for the name sought. The first index dates from 1849 to 1898 and includes convicts sent to Rusk Penitentiary, listing their Rusk convict number and their Huntsville convict number (if they served time in both facilities). The three indexes contain entries from 1849 to 1970.

A second set of three ledgers is also present. The format is much the same, giving the convict's number, name, sentence (includes notes regarding conduct), prison unit assigned to and date sent to the unit, and amount of good time credit amassed. The convict numbers covered are 23199-73075, but entries were not made for many of the numbers. The vast majority of entries are between ca. 1938 and ca. 1944. Additional entries to the ledgers, primarily listing subsequent prison assignments, and dates of release or discharge, are added back to 1906 and as late as 1976. The specific function of this set of registers is unknown. Perhaps they served to record good time credit for convicts earning it; perhaps they were meant to record information about a particular group of prisoners. It is possible other conduct registers were part of this set at one time and no longer exist.

The inventory lists the prison numbers and years covered in the ledger--the dates listed for the ledgers refer to the date the inmate or convict entered the prison system. Additional dates added to the ledgers go up to 1976, primarily listing subsequent prison assignments, and dates of release or discharge. The first three ledgers are from the Rusk Penitentiary with a different numbering system from the rest of the prison population. The next or fourth ledger has entries for the first numbering system used, from 1 to 10,000 (the highest number issued is actually 10,016, but the last sixteen numbers were re-issued as 1-16 in the next numbering system); and the fifth ledger begins the next numbering system, 1-104,924 (last number in these ledgers).

This series consists of large ledgers containing a variety of statistics on convicts, or inmates, in the prison system, dating from 1883 to 1969. Each ledger is divided into five sections--Counties of conviction, Classification, Nativity, Occupation, and Miscellaneous statistics. Counties of conviction lists the number of inmates received each month from each county in Texas; Classification lists the number of inmates received each month, further classified by the crime committed (arson, burglary, robbery, murder, etc.); Nativity lists the number of inmates received each month by state or country of origin; Occupation lists the number of inmates received each month further classified by their occupation (laborer, lawyer, architect, cook, etc.); Miscellaneous statistics--lists the numbers of inmates received each month further classified by the following categories: Terms of imprisonment (less than one year, etc.); Short term (less than 1 to 14 years); Black ball men (15-59 years); Red ball men (60 years to life); Race (White, Negro, Mexican); Conjugal condition (married, single, widowed, divorced); Education (fair to good, common, illiterate); Habits (temperate, intemperate); Use of tobacco (users, non-users); Sex (male, female); Terms (1st, 2nd, 3rd and up); Age (under 15, 15-20, etc.); and Religion (Methodist, Baptist, Christian, Hebrew, etc.) (only listed in later ledgers). Within each of the five sections are additional fields of information that differ in each section. Lists of most of the terms used in the section Occupation and in several of the categories of the Miscellaneous Statistics section are listed in the Categories of information found in the convict record ledgers and statistical record ledgers section of this finding aid (e.g., bakers or laborers as types of occupations).

Within each major section (Counties of conviction, Classification, Nativity, and Occupation), the data is further divided into the following categories: New received (number of new convicts received); Recaptured; Discharged; Pardoned; Escaped; Died; Transferred between Huntsville and Rusk (only listed in the earliest ledgers); and Number of convicts on hand (only listed in the earliest ledgers).

The later ledgers also contain the additional categories for each section: Returned by sheriffs; Furlough violators returned; Parole violators returned; Returned from parole voluntarily; Delivered to sheriffs; Paroled; Furloughed; Full pardon; and Conditional pardon.

Each section of the ledgers contains several years' worth of data (1883-1892 for example) for the first category (new received), then the same years' worth of data for the next category (recaptured), etc.

There are two sets of ledgers. The first set consists of six ledgers of sheets printed with all the categories of each section. This first set dates from 1883 to 1954. The next set consists of three volumes, containing printed sheets listing the section heads (Counties of Conviction, Classification, Nativity, Occupation, Miscellaneous Statistics), but not the categories (Discharged, escaped, pardoned, etc.). These categories are penciled on the top of the page in these volumes, often in the form of abbreviations. It appears that not all categories were being used during the period, which dates from 1955 to 1969.

Another source for statistical data on the prison system is the series Biennial statistics, which provides similar statistics to this series and also includes details of diseases the convicts contracted. Additionally, some of these statistics were reported in the monthly reports of the superintendent to the governor, see the series Monthly reports.

Information of this sort for the individual convicts (occupation, nativity, sex, race, term of imprisonment, education, habits, etc.), can be found in two other series. The most comprehensive set of records on the individual convicts is the series Convict record ledgers. Another series which contains several different but related ledgers with some of this type of data on the convicts is the series Miscellaneous convict ledgers.

This series contains several sets of ledgers providing information on individual convicts, dated 1849-1869, 1884-1885, and 1897-1970. Information in most of the ledgers includes the convict's number, name, county, new arrival, and how released. Though these sets are somewhat related, a description is provided for the different types of ledgers.

This series consists of one ledger containing statistics gathered and used in the Board of Prison Commissioners' biennial reports to the governor. Dates of the ledger are 1906-1920. There are several sections within the ledger, and within each section, several categories of information.

Monthly numerical changes in prison population. Data is given by month for these categories: New convicts received; Recaptured; Returned from parole; Returned by sheriffs; Discharged; Pardoned; Escaped; Died; Delivered to sheriffs; and Number of convicts on hand at the end of the month.

Race and color of convicts. Data is given by month for these races: Whites, Blacks, Mulattos, Mexicans, and Indians. It is further broken down by race and month for the following categories: Number of convicts on hand at the end of previous month; New convicts received; Recaptured; Returned from parole; Discharged; Pardoned; Escaped; Died; and Paroled. Number of convicts on hand at the end of the month. The total number of convicts is given for each month.

Discharged (including delivered to sheriffs). This lists the force (a work unit of convicts), number of convicts discharged each month from each force, and the total number of convicts discharged each month from all forces.

Deaths. This lists the force, number of deaths for each month from each force, total number of deaths for all forces for each month, and total number of deaths for the biennium.

Daily convict population. This lists the total number of convicts for each day of the month, a total for each month, a daily average, the highest daily number, and the lowest daily number.

Mortality of convicts. This lists the number of convicts and the various causes of death each month (generally listed by classes of diseases). The causes of death listed each month vary with what the convicts contracted. The total number of convicts for each class of diseases is given for the biennial period. The classes and lists of diseases are: General diseases - typhoid fever, la grippe, measles, etc.; Digestive system problems - acute diarrhea, appendicitis, cirrhosis of the liver, etc.; Respiratory system - consumption, pneumonia, Bright's Disease, etc.; Vasculatory system - flux, heart disease, cardiac asthma, etc.; Nervous system - congestion of the brain, apoplexy, epilepsy, etc.; Constitutional diseases - dropsy, senility, etc.; and Unclassed - killed in escaping, fracture of skull, suicide, knife wound, gunshot wound, wood alcohol poisoning, etc.;

Escapes. This lists the number of convicts escaped from each force for each month. The total number of escapes is given for each month for all forces and for the biennium.

Another set of ledgers which provides some of this same statistical data and numerous other categories not found in this ledger, comprise the series Statistical record ledgers. Escapes are also reported in a separate ledger, see the series Escape record.

This series consists of one ledger listing the convicts who escaped from the prison system, dating 1851-1943. Each entry contains the convict's number, name, term, race, force escaped from, note on how they escaped (from guard, from building, trustee, etc.), date of the escape, and date of recapture. The death of the convict is sometimes noted.

Some of this information can be found in a few other places, but this is the only known comprehensive source on escapes maintained by the prison system. Within the records received from the Department of Criminal Justice described in this finding aid are several series that also contain escape information. The series Convict record ledgers and Conduct registers note escaped when applicable in the entries for each convict. The ledgers in the series, Statistical record ledgers, and in the series, Biennial statistics, note the number of escapes each month (but do not name the individuals who had escaped). Additionally, there are some ledgers in the series Miscellaneous convict ledgers that note if a convict escaped. A list of escaped convicts by month can also be found in the series Monthly reports. Methods of escape used and the force escaped from are not generally present in these sources. Also, recapture information for individual convicts is not always present, but is often given as a statistic for the month or year (number of convicts recaptured, etc.).

There are several series of records held by the Archives and Information Services Division that supplement and/or complement the information found in the escape record ledger. The early biennial reports of the boards (Board of Directors, Penitentiary Board, Board of Prison Commissioners, and the Texas Prison Board) for some years of the late 19th to the early 20th century, and the monthly reports of the superintendent in the 19th century often listed the names of the escaped convicts or noted the number of escaped convicts. These records can be found in the collection Records Relating to the Penitentiary, in the series Reports. Also, this escape ledger complements information found in the Adjutant General's records, in the series Ranger records: Frontier Battalion - Lists of fugitives, 1865-1879; and the series Reconstruction records: State Police - Reports of crimes, arrests and fugitives, 1870-1873. In 1911, the Board of Prison Commissioners published Escapes from the Texas State Penitentiaries, a list of at-large escapees, and offered a reward of $25 for their capture. The publication provides the convict's name, number, physical description, details about the crime and other data found in the convict record ledgers, date escaped, and place escaped from (if other than Huntsville). It provides data on convicts entering the penitentiary between 1849 and 1911. The earliest escape date found was 1872. This volume is located in the Texana collection of the Archives and Information Services Division - the call number is 364/T31es.

Information about United States prisoners housed in Huntsville can be found in two series, the Convict record ledgers, and the Monthly reports. The Convict record ledgers contain entries for United States prisoners incarcerated in Huntsville during 1874-1881. These prisoners are assigned regular prison convict numbers and listed in the numerical sequence with a note United States prisoner - see commitment papers and U.S. prisoners special records. Towards the back of the ledgers the personal and commitment data is listed in numerical order. In the series, Monthly reports, the back of the volume contains pages listing United States prisoners housed in the state penitentiary in 1882 and 1883.

This series consists of photographs, contact sheets, negatives, and slides of prison system activities, dating from ca. 1911 to ca. 1985, and undated (bulk ca. 1965-ca. 1980). Most of the images are black and white 8 x 10 prints, 5 x 7 prints, or 3 x 5 snapshots. Also present are a few enlargements, up to 16 x 20. Other formats include color 8 x 10 prints, color Polaroids, color snapshots, color and black and white negatives and contact sheets, and color and black and white slides (most are color). Lastly are three albums of photographs of black and white prints, dating mostly from the 1940s to the 1970s. One album has some photographs dated 1911 and other photographs dated in the 1940s; one was compiled for a former assistant warden, Joe Byrd, dating ca. 1940-1980; and one is from the Photo and ID Unit of the Department of Corrections, containing images from the Walls Unit dating from ca. 1949-ca. 1954. Also present is a small set of prints and negatives used in the prison newspaper, The Echo, dating from 1960 to 1962.

Most of the images in this series were taken by staff photographers, though some were taken by commercial photographers, others were taken by private individuals and donated to the prison, and some were likely taken by inmates for prison publications. Many of these images appear to have been used in The Echo (in addition to those mentioned above), staff newsletters, annual reports, and other agency reports. Topics of these photographs include: interior and exterior views of the various prison units, including cells, exercise yards, shops, construction of facilities, etc. inmates working at jobs, including construction, making brooms and mops, drycleaning, sewing, laundering, cooking, farming, welding, making shoes, making furniture, making license plates, etc. various views of inmates inside the prison, such as inmates at the commissary, being frisked by guards, walking the corridors, exercising in the outdoor yards, eating meals, etc. inmates in educational and vocational classes, including shots of inmates receiving high school diplomas recreational activities of the prisoners, including boxing, basketball games and other team sports, prison musical bands, scenes from plays, female prisoners working on needlework, inmates participating in the prison rodeo, etc. various other inmate topics, including medical and dental treatment, inmate alcoholism and counseling services, transportation, transferring prisoners, etc. guards on duty in the prison and at the prison farms, guards at the rifle range, officers training school, guards receiving awards, etc. portraits and other images of the executive director, wardens, and other prison staff; governors and other state officials; and other individuals interested in the operation of the prison system, most shown with the executive director - directors most often pictured are Dr. George Beto and W.J. Estelle, Jr. portraits of prison governing board members and images of board meetings and/or corrections-related conferences or meetings - the board member most featured is H.H. Pete Coffield personnel-related topics, including views of staff at work, portraits of staff, staff picnics, softball games, etc.

Most of the photographs are foldered alphabetically by topic. There are five groups or subseries of photographs in this series - two separate groups of topical photographs; a group of unit photographs; a miscellaneous group of slides, contact sheets, prints, and negatives; and scrapbooks. Because many of these images are not individually dated, circa dates for each group are used instead of placing dates on each folder. Most of the photos in the unit photos group and the slides are dated, but few of the topical photographs were individually dated. Folders are dated when the images have specific dates.

Most of the photographs of the Texas Prison Rodeo were maintained in a separate series; see the series Texas Prison Rodeo photographs in this finding aid. Slides prepared for training purposes, also showing various aspects of life in prison (views of guards, inmates, contraband, etc.), can be found in the series In-service training materials.

The Archives and Information Services Division has a few photographs of prisoners and prison activities, primarily from one of the prison farms, dating ca. 1910-1920 in the Prints and Photographs Collection, photos 1930/003-18, 1975/070-4415, and 1976/031-166 through 186. Additionally, the collection, Records Relating to the Penitentiary, in the series Special subject reports, contains photographs in a engineer's report on the iron industry operations at Rusk Penitentiary, dated 1908.

A collection of historic photographs of the prison is housed at the Walls Unit in Huntsville. For access to these and more current photographs of the prison, including mug shots of inmates, contact the Media Services Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Some older historic photographs can also be found at Newton-Gresham Library, Sam Houston State University, in Huntsville, Texas.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go the full finding aid - Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Photographs. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found in a separate divider within the binder.

This series consists of paper and microfilm copies of The Echo, the prison newspaper for inmates in the Texas prison system, dating from 1933 to 1995. Topics covered in the newspaper include: legislation or court rulings that could affect inmates or the corrections system (hearings on death cases, parole system changes, reform legislation, Ruiz decision, etc.) changes in the board or prison administration (new board members appointed, new wardens or farm managers hired, etc.) prison industries (such as the price the cotton crop brought in, etc.) summaries or commentaries on visits to the prison by outside individuals (who they were, why they came, what they did, what they talked about--if they spoke at the prison, etc.) reports from units (such as who is up for parole, who has left, recreational activities at that unit, etc.) inmate health and welfare (AIDS, nutrition, psychological articles, etc.) inmate recreational activities (sports, rodeo, plays, bands, art shows, etc.) inmate education activities (college coursework available for inmates, high school graduations, etc.) religion in the prison for inmates editorials (concerning prison life, changes needed in corrections measures, etc.)

The Echo, has been published monthly at Huntsville by inmates in the print shop. (A recent newspaper article noted that the publication of The Echo, was being suspended due to lack of resources.) Inmates do some of the writing and editing, though how much is not clear. The later issues of the paper have more space devoted to news articles, such as legislation or changes in the criminal justice industry, etc., and less given over to unit reports as did the paper in its early years. The microfilm copy covers the years 1933-1984. There are loosely bound paper copies covering the years 1933-1944, 1946-1949, 1951-1974. Neither the microfilm nor the paper copy is complete. In several instances, articles have been cut out of the paper. There are also scattered issues present for 1970-1972, 1981, 1984-1995. In the newspaper collection of the Archives and Information Services Division there are a few scattered issues between 1944 and 1968, the Texas Documents Collection holds issues from 1991 to ongoing. The Center for American History holds scattered issues between 1928-1931 and 1938-1968.

This series consists of four maps, dating ca. 1960, 1961, 1975, and 1984. Two of the maps were created by the Department of Corrections: one provides a detailed plat of Eastham prison farm (ca. 1960); the other pinpoints all the state prison farms (1961). The other two maps present were not created by the Department of Corrections, but used by it. These two maps are a county highway map (privately printed) of Walker County in 1984, and a 1975 map illustrating the long-range transportation plan for Walker County.

A map of the Shaw State Farm can be found in the series Miscellaneous legal documents. A few earlier maps and sketches of prison lands can be found in a collection held by the Archives and Information Services Division - Records relating to the Penitentiary, in the series Offers and proposals, and the series Blueprints and maps.

This series consists of blueprints and drawings for changes to the Wynne Unit in Huntsville, dating ca. 1960-1984. Some of the plans date back to 1960, most were prepared in the early 1980s, and all are stamped August 14, 1984. Types of projects represented in these drawings/blueprints include additions to and remodeling of existing buildings at Wynne, and construction of new facilities. Alterations are shown for the kitchen and dining room areas, the clinic buildings, unit A, the bathhouse, the laundry, the mattress factory, and others. New facilities represented include a pasteurization building, chapel, boiler house, warehouse and office space, and others.

The Archives and Information Services Division holds a large collection of unprocessed building materials (blueprints, drawings, correspondence, changes, etc.) from the Department of Criminal Justice, dating ca. 1980-ca. 1985, that concerns changes at Wynne and several other prison units.

Records consist of rodeo programs, clippings, brochures, and photographs documenting the Texas Prison Rodeo, dating 1931-1986, undated (bulk 1973-1980). Specific items present are black and white and color photographs from rodeos, primarily 8 x 10 prints, dating ca. 1934-1984; contacts sheets and negatives, ca. 1975-1980; a scrapbook of black and white photographs, dating 1941-1945; rodeo programs dating 1939, 1941-1942, 1947-1986; clippings about the rodeo, dating back to the first rodeo in 1931; and some undated brochures about the rodeo, dating ca. 1978-ca. 1986. Scenes shown include shots of prison officials, dignitaries, and clowns, and shots from rodeo events performed by inmates in the prison system, such as calf roping and bull riding.

The Texas Prison Rodeo was begun in 1931 by the Texas Prison System. Convicts performed traditional rodeo acts, such as bull riding, calf roping, acting as clowns, etc. Competition was limited to male inmates until 1972, when female inmates began participating. Over the years nationally-known musical performers, such as Dolly Parton, performed at the rodeo as well. The rodeo ceased operation in 1986.

A related series from the overall TDCJ finding aid is The Echo, the prison system newspaper that reported regularly on the activities of the prison rodeo. A series in a separate TDCJ finding aid, Photographs, has additional photographs from the prison rodeo. The Department of Criminal Justice holds scrapbooks about the prison rodeo, dating from 1948 to 1955.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go the full finding aid - Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Prison Rodeo records. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found in a separate divider within the binder.

These are audio tapes from a hostage incident that occurred at the Huntsville Unit education and library facility, from July 27 to August 12, 1974. The dates cover the incident (July 27-August 3) and the post-incident interviews (August 7-12). The incident is also known as the Huntsville Siege. It involved three inmates - Fred Gomez Carrasco, Rudy S. Dominguez, and Ignacio Cuevas, who took hostages and made a number of demands to prison officials in exchange for their freedom. The incident lasted more than a week, ending with the death of two female hostages, the wounding of other hostages, and the death of inmate gunmen Carrasco and Dominguez. The hostages were employees Glen D. Johnson, Ronald W. Robinson, Aline V. House, Novella M. Pollard, Linda G. Woodman, Elizabeth Y. Beseda - died, Julia C. Standley - died, Bertha M. Davis, Ann Fleming, Bobby G. Heard, and Anthony Branch; Father Joseph O'Brien; and four inmates, Martin Quiroz, Henry Escamilla, Steve Robertson, and Florencio Vera. The surviving inmate gunman, Ignacio Cuevas, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of hostage Julia Standley. He was executed on May 23, 1991.

The tapes record the conversations between the inmates, director W.J. Estelle, Jr., Carrasco's attorney - Ruben Montemayor (who served as a mediator), warden H.H. Husbands, Governor Dolph Briscoe, reporters, hostages and their families, and others. The inventory transcribes information written on the cassettes about either the speakers and/or the content of the tapes. Many of the conversations with the inmate gunmen are either in Spanish or else in Spanish and English. Most of the tapes date during the siege, July 27-August 3, 1974. A few date from August 7-12, 1974, and are interviews with the surviving inmate gunman and hostages about the siege.

The tapes were duplicated in December 2000-January 2001 in order to make a use copy available for research. All the tapes were listened to briefly to determine their condition; a random sample were fully played. Notes in the inventory indicate when blank sides were discovered. However, not all the tapes were listened to sufficiently to determine the extent of the recordings for each cassette. Researchers should not assume all tapes containing a blank side are so marked.

If you are reading this electronically, click on the link to go the full finding aid - Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Carrasco tapes. If you are reading this in paper, the series finding aid is found in a separate divider within the binder.