Database offers records of early prison inmates

A new online database is offering access to records of some of the earliest inmates who served time in the Missouri State Penitentiary.

Secretary of State Jason Kander announced Thursday the Missouri State Penitentiary Database is available at missouridigitalheritage.com/MSP.

The site offers access to 62,758 inmate records, spanning the time from the prison's opening in 1836 to 1931. The register identifies the names and ages of the prisoners, their crimes and sentences and the years they entered and were released from the prison.

Images of original record books also are available through the site.

A limited number of inmate photographs is available because mug shots of incoming inmates were not required until 1928.

The prison closed in 2004. Before then, it was the oldest operating penal facility west of the Mississippi River, according to the secretary of state's office.

It was 98 years old when Alcatraz opened in San Francisco.

Inhumane conditions at the prison earned it the title of "bloodiest 47 acres in America" in a 1967 Time magazine article, a news release stated.

The database was created through the efforts of hundreds of Missouri State Archives volunteers, who, for more than a decade, logged thousands of hours working on the project.

"The Missouri State Penitentiary Database is yet another tool Missourians and researchers worldwide can use to learn more about our shared history," Kander said in a news release. "I'm very proud of the dedication and hard work volunteers and staff have contributed to this project over the years to provide a resource for those wanting to learn more about Missouri history."

The news release stated the database could be useful to those conducting family-history searches or those interested in learning more about famous inmates. The state archives' staff has found records of infamous bank robber "Pretty Boy" Floyd, early American socialist activist and penal reform advocate Kate Richards O'Hare and anarchist Emma Goldman.

To review prison records past 1931, individuals can submit a research request to archref@sos.mo.gov with the inmate's name and approximate prison entry date.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641