Texas Legislature, Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee:
An Inventory of the Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee Report at the Texas State Archives, 1887
Overview | ||
| Creator: | Texas. Legislature. Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee. | |
| Title: | Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee report | |
| Dates: | 1887 | |
| Abstract: | 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. | |
| Quantity: | fractional | |
| Language: | These materials are written in English. | |
| Repository: | Texas State Archives | |
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. | ||
Restrictions
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.
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
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Joint Penitentiary Visiting Committee report, Texas Legislature. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
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.
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
Detailed Description of the Records
Joint Committee to Visit the State Penitentiary report, 1887, | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 1988/065 | Report, 1887 | ||||||||||||