The American prison system as we know it began in New York in the early 19th century. The founders of this system were men of high purpose, who conceived of prisons as more than simple warehouses of convicted criminals.

There are 42 prisons funded by the State of New York, and approximately 28,200 parolees at seven regional offices as of 2022. [2] As of 2016 New York does not contract with private prisons, according to state law. [3] The following list does not include federal prisons, New York City jails, or county jails located in the state of New York.

The Attica Uprising and its Aftermath, 1971-2015: This feature allows you to search and browse digitized records from multiple series, including documents, audio, and video files from the New York State Governor, Department of Law, and Division of the State Police.

Sep 20, 2024 · A guide to historical to current resources on prisons and jails in New York City and New York State. By Ellen Belcher Resources on NYC Jails

the history of the new york prison system is traced from the opening of auburn state prison in 1819 through the operation of the current 21-facility department of correctional services.

The web resource for NY correction history --- Some 10,000s files of text & images.

From Newgate to Dannemora: The Rise of the Penitentiary in New York, 1796–1848 is a book-length history chronicling the origins and early expansion of the penitentiary in New York state during the antebellum period.

History. On November 28, 1797, the first State prison opened in New York City. While the official name of the new prison was the State Prison of the City of New York, it was commonly known as Newgate Prison. The prison was authorized by the Legislature in 1796 (Chapter 30).

Because of overcrowding in its jails, the City of New York arranged with the state to board approximately three thousand city prisoners in the state prison system in 1971. At the beginning of 1971, state correction institutions held 12,210 men and 369 women.

New York, New Jersey, and Virginia updated and reduced their capital crime lists. This reduction of capital crimes created a need for other forms of punishment, which led to incarceration of longer periods of time. The oldest prison was built in York, Maine in 1720. The very first jail that turned into a state prison was the Walnut Street Jail.