- New York State Prison Inspector
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The Inspector of State Prisons was a statewide elective office created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. At the New York state election, 1847, three Inspectors were elected and then, upon taking office, so classified that henceforth every year one Inspector would be elected to a three-year term. The Prison Inspectors appointed wardens and keepers, and supervised the prison administration in general. They were required to visit jointly four times a year each one of the state prisons. Besides, each one of the Inspectors was allotted the special care to one of the then existing three state prisons (Auburn State Prison, Sing Sing State Prison and Clinton State Prison) where he had to attend to business for at least one week per month.
In 1876, a constitutional amendment abolished the office of State Prison Inspector, pending the appointment of a Superintendent of State Prisons who would take over the duties of the Prison Inspectors. The first Superintendent was Louis D. Pilsbury, appointed by Governor Lucius Robinson on February 17, 1877.
Contents
List of Inspectors of State Prisons
Name Took office Left office Party Notes John B. Gedney January 1, 1848 December 31, 1848 Whig drew the one-year term Isaac N. Comstock January 1, 1848 December 31, 1849 Whig drew the two-year term David D. Spencer January 1, 1848 December 31, 1850 Whig/Anti-Rent drew the three-year term Alexander H. Wells January 1, 1849 December 31, 1851 Whig Darius Clark January 1, 1850 December 31, 1855 Democratic two terms; elected on the Democratic and Anti-Rent tickets in 1849, on the Democratic ticket in 1852 William P. Angel January 1, 1851 December 31, 1853 Democratic/Anti-Rent Henry Storms January 1, 1852 December 31, 1854 Democratic Thomas Kirkpatrick January 1, 1854 December 31, 1856 Whig Norwood Bowne January 1, 1855 December 31, 1857 Whig/Anti-Nebraska/Anti-Rent William A. Russell January 1, 1856 December 31, 1858 American Wesley Bailey January 1, 1857 December 31, 1859 Republican William C. Rhodes January 1, 1858 December 31, 1860 Democratic Josiah T. Everest January 1, 1859 December 31, 1861 Republican David P. Forrest January 1, 1860 December 31, 1862 Republican James K. Bates January 1, 1861 December 31, 1866 Republican two terms; elected on the Republican ticket in 1860, on the Union ticket in 1863 Abraham B. Tappen January 1, 1862 December 31, 1864 Union elected on the Independent People's and Republican tickets Gaylord J. Clarke January 1, 1863 December 31, 1865 Democratic David P. Forrest January 1, 1865 December 31, 1867 Union second term Henry A. Barnum January 1, 1866 December 31, 1868 Republican John Hammond January 1, 1867 December 31, 1869 Republican Solomon Scheu January 1, 1868 December 31, 1873 Democratic two terms David B. McNeil January 1, 1869 December 31, 1871 Democratic Fordyce L. Laflin January 1, 1870 December 31, 1872 Democratic Thomas Kirkpatrick January 1, 1872 December 31, 1874 Republican second term Ezra Graves January 1, 1873 December 31, 1875 Republican Moss K. Platt January 1, 1874 March 1, 1876 Republican died in office George Wagener January 1, 1875 February 17, 1877 Democratic legislated out of office by Amendment of 1876, office taken over by Superintendent of State Prisons Rodney R. Crowley January 1, 1876 February 17, 1877 Democratic legislated out of office by Amendment of 1876, office taken over by Superintendent of State Prisons Benjamin S. W. Clark March 2, 1876 December 31, 1876 Democratic appointed to fill vacancy in place of Platt Robert H. Anderson January 1, 1877 February 17, 1877 Democratic legislated out of office by Amendment of 1876, office taken over by Superintendent of State Prisons Superintendent of State Prisons
References
- ^ "O.V. Sage Warden of Sing Sing. Superintendent Lathrop Promotes His Clerk, Who Has Had Charge Since Durston's Death". New York Times. November 20, 1894. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0A16FE355515738DDDA90A94D9415B8485F0D3. Retrieved 2011-05-05. "Austin Lathrop, Superintendent of State Prisons, to-day appointed Omar V. Sage of Catskill Agent and Warden of Sing Sing Prison. ..."
- ^ "T. M. Osborne To Be Warden At Sing Sing. Noted Prison Reformer Will Take Office on Dec. 1. Approved by Glynn and Whitman. Big Shake-Up Predicted. Warden-Elect Disapproves of Capital Punishment, but Would Make Executions 'Public Exhibitions". New York Times. November 20, 1914. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60715FB3C5C13738DDDA90A94D9415B848DF1D3. Retrieved 2011-05-04. "Thomas Mott Osborne of Auburn, N.Y., retired manufacturer, world traveler, lecturer, writer, and prison reformer, has accepted the offer of John B. Riley, State Superintendent of Prisons, of the post of the Warden of Sing Sing Prison. He will take office on Dec. 1, and will relieve ex-Judge George S. Weed, who was temporarily assigned to Sing Sing, when Warden Thomas J. McCormick was ousted on Oct. 30 as the result of the Sullivan scandal."
Further reading
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 45f; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner (1867; pages 410f)
Officers in the State of New York Current offices Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Speaker of the Assembly • Temporary President of the Senate • Secretary of State • Attorney General • State Comptroller • Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals • Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals • Clerk of the Court of AppealsDefunct offices State Treasurer • State Engineer • Superintendent of Public Works • Chancellor • Canal Commissioner • Inspector of State PrisonsCategories:- New York State Prison Inspectors
- History of New York
- Prisons in New York
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