Due to the sensitive nature of the material, the Archives is not putting records in this series online until they are at least 100 years old. Any record in the series may be viewed in the Searchroom or ordered remotely.

Record of inmates housed in the prison. The entries before 1919 consist of prisoner number and name, birth place, age, complexion, free/slave, hair and eye color, height, residence, occupation, distinguishing marks, education, temperance, age orphaned, Sunday school attendance, former occupation, county where convicted, crime, date sentenced, length of sentence, release date, prison occupation, and when and how discharged. The dates are determined by the prisoner's date of sentence/reception. These records do contain some entries for prisoners sentenced prior to the establishment of the penitentiary in 1811. Entries for 1840-1906 indexed by Prisoner Record, Index series [MSA S277].

The entries within the record books from 1919 to 1978 all contain the following information: inmate number, previous convictions, name, race & sex, height & weight, age, eyes, hair, place of birth, place of residence, nearest relative's name & address, trade or occupation, education, marital status, religion, place of conviction, crime, date received, sentence, date of release and additional remarks. In addition, some books from 1919-1978 list age left orphan, alcohol or drug addiction, gain by commutation (years, months, days), minimum & maximum expiration of sentence (y/m/d), commuted & original expiration of sentence (y/m/d), which correctional center the prisoner was from, pupil of S.S., reg. nos. of previous sentences, and former character as to temperance.

All records are arranged numerically by prisoner number.