Western History and Genealogy

Colorado State Reformatory Prisoner Records: 1887-1939

The alphabetical name index that follows is a listing of the name of each inmate, their inmate number, and the volume number in which the complete inmate information was recorded.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U-V W X-Y-Z

Access to the Colorado State Reformatory prisoner records: 1887-1939

About the records

During the period 1887 through 1939, over 9700 inmates were booked at the state reformatory in Buena Vista, Colorado. Each inmate was assigned a unique number during his stay at the reformatory. At the time of booking the following information was usually recorded:

Inmate number; names; alias; crime; county of conviction; court; date of sentence; date received at Colorado State Reformatory; nativity, name of parents and their address; age, weight, height, complexion; color of eyes and hair; size of hat and shoe; education background; occupation; religion, use of intoxicants, narcotics, tobacco and cigarettes; previous criminal record; inmates' story of plea; medical and special reports on inmate; conduct & grading record; date paroled and to where; and photo of inmate.

Inmate numbers 1 through 727 usually do no contain an inmate photo.

The prisoner record volumes consist of pages with the inmate numbers in numeric order except for a few scattered entries. The scattered entries have the volume page number given in parentheses after the inmate's name. The prisoner record volumes and the approximate year of booking follow:
Volume Number, Inmate Numbers, Dates

1. 1, 1 - 746, 1887 -1899
2. 2, 728 - 1006, 1898 - 1907 & scattered pre-728 records
3. 3, 1005 - 1383, 1900 - 1904
4. 4, 1384 - 1757, 1904 - 1906
5. 5, 1758 - 2127, 1906 - 1908
6. 6, 2128 - 2695, 1908 - 1910
7. 7, 2696 - 3268, 1910 - 1913
8. 8, 3269 - 3823, 1913 - 1915 & scattered 1592 to 8674 records
9. 9, 3825 - 4274, 1915 - 1918 & 3621, 9595, & 9839
10. 10, 4275 - 4771, 1918 - 1920
11. 11, 4772 - 5240, 1920 - 1922 & 3742
12. 12, 5241 - 5690, 1922 - 1924
13. 13, 5691 - 6159, 1924 - 1926
14. 14, 6160 - 6454, 1926 - 1927
15. 15, 6635 - 6989, 1928 - 1929
16. 16, 6990 - 7742, 1929 - 1931
17. 17, 7743 - 8359, 1931 - 1933
18. 18, 8360 - 8699, 1933 - 1934
19. 19, 8702 - 9189, 1935 - 1937
20. 20, 8836 - 9277, 1935 - 1937 & 8722
21. 21, 9190 - 9799, 1937 - 1939

The complete inmate information may be obtained by contacting:
The Colorado State Archives
Room 13 - 20
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80203
Phone (303) 866-2358

Bibliography

"Biennial Reports of the State Board of Corrections and Warden of the Colorado State Reformatory," 1929 - 1930 - 1931.

Colorado State Archives, "Corrections Reformatory Prisoner's Records," 1887 - 1939, Volumes 1 through 21, Microfilm Roll No.'s 1 through 14.

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