Overview
Texas State Archives
Texas. Legislature. Joint Penitentiary
Visiting Committee.
Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee
report
1887
The Texas Joint Penitentiary Visiting
Committee was a special committee created in 1887 by the 20th Texas Legislature, to
investigate the management, condition, and operation of the various units of the
Texas State Penitentiary system including several farms, the Rusk State Penitentiary
foundry, and the Huntsville prison. Records consist of a typescript copy of the
committee's report, with handwritten corrections, dating 1887. Printed versions of
this report can be found in the House and Senate Journals of the 20th Legislature,
Regular Session.
These materials are written in English.
fractional
Restrictions on Access
Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the State Archives search room.
Materials will be retrieved from and returned to storage areas by staff members.
Restrictions on Use
Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely
used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by,
state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible
for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).
Technical Requirements
None.
Agency History
The Texas Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee was a special committee created by a
joint concurrent resolution passed on January 25, 1887 by the 20th Texas
Legislature, Regular Session, to investigate the management, condition, and
operation of the Texas State Penitentiaries.
The committee visited the various units of the Texas State Penitentiary system
including several farms, the Rusk State Penitentiary foundry, and the Huntsville
prison. The committee, in their report to the legislature, found that the prisoners
had adequate food, clothing, and medical attention and concluded that, for the most
part, they were being well-treated. While the committee was generally pleased with
the management of the penitentiary system, it did have several suggestions for
improvements and included these in their report to the legislature on February 3,
1887.
(Sources include: the guide survey completed for this material.)
Scope and Contents of the Records
The Texas Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee was a special committee created in
1887 by the 20th Texas Legislature, to investigate the management, condition, and
operation of the various units of the Texas State Penitentiary system including
several farms, the Rusk State Penitentiary foundry, and the Huntsville prison.
Records consist of a typescript copy of the committee's report, with handwritten
corrections, dating 1887. Printed versions of this report can be found in the House
and Senate Journals of the 20th Legislature, Regular Session.
To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to
delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate
of dates covered, and to determine record types.
Arrangement of the Records
These records consist of a single report.
Index Terms
The terms listed here were used to catalog the records. The
terms can be used to find similar or related records.
Corporate Names:
Texas State Penitentiary.
Huntsville Penitentiary.
Rusk State Penitentiary.
Subjects:
Convict labor--Texas.
Prisons--Texas.
Prisoners--Texas.
Prisons--Texas--Officials and employees.
Prison industries--Texas.
Places:
Texas--Governmental investigations.
Document Types:
Reports--Texas--Governmental investigations--1887.
Functions:
Administering governmental investigations.
Related Material
The following materials are offered as possible sources of
further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The
listing is not exhaustive.
Texas State Archives
Records relating to the Penitentiary, 1846-1921, undated,
87.85 cubic ft.
Texas Governor O. B. Colquitt, Records, 1905-1915, bulk
1910-1915, 66.29 cubic ft. [Includes file for Board of
Prison Commissioners, Penitentiary Investigatory Committee,
1913.]
Texas Legislature, House of Representatives, Committee on
Penitentiaries, Special Subcommittee to Visit State Penitentiary, Records, 1876,
fractional
Texas Legislature, House of Representatives, Committee to
Investigate the Retrieve Prison Farm, Report, 1935, fractional
Texas Legislature, Joint Committee of Investigation into the
Prison Commission and Lease of Blue Ridge Farm, Proceedings and testimony, 1919,
0.3 cubic ft.
Texas Legislature, Joint Committee on the Penitentiary,
Records, 1863, 0.15 cubic ft.
Texas Legislature, Joint Committee to Investigate the State
Penitentiary System, Proceedings, 1925, 0.75 cubic ft.
Texas Legislature, Joint Penitentiary Investigating
Committee, Records, 1920-1921, bulk 1921, 0.75 cubic ft.
Texas Legislature, Senate Penitentiary Investigating
Committee, Reports and proceedings, 1915, 0.4 cubic ft.
Texas Prison Centralization Commission, Enabling legislation
and report, 1929, fractional
Texas State Penitentiary, Board of Commissioners,
Penitentiary Board outgoing letters, 1883-1889, 0.24 cubic ft.
Publications
Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. <emph render="italic"
>Journal of the House of Representatives of the state of Texas, 20th
Legislature</emph>. Austin: Standard Office, 1887.
Texas. Legislature. Senate. <emph render="italic">Journal of the Senate
of the state of Texas, 20th Legislature</emph>. Austin: Standard
Office, 1887.
Preferred Citation
Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee report, Texas Legislature. Archives and
Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Processing Information
Guide survey information compiled by Paul Beck, April 1988
Finding aid encoded in EAD Version 2002 as part of the TARO project by Rebecca
Romanchuk, March 2012
Accession Information
Accession number: 1988/117
These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division
of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by an unknown agency during
the 20th century. The records were later found in a miscellaneous box of
penitentiary-related records withdrawn from the Comptroller record group. An
accession number was assigned on April 12, 1988.
Detailed Description of the Records
Joint Committee to Visit the State Penitentiary report, 1887,
fractional
1988/065
Report, 1887