Scope and Contents The Charles Spear Collection (1840-1851, one box) contains the personal correspondence, journal, and passport of Charles Spear. The collection concerns Spear’s work to abolish the death penalty in the United States and his support of prison reform. Along with documents regarding Spear’s travels to England in pursuit of support to eliminate the death penalty in the United States, the collection also includes a subscription book carried by Charles Spear and his brother that contains signatures...

Scope and Contents

The collection was purchased for SHSU Special Collections in June 2019. Each flyer was signed in Huntsville, Texas by Searcy Baker, Superintendent of the Texas State Penitentiaries during the earlyb1900s. There are a total of 35 flyers, one being a duplicate.

Scope and Contents The materials that make up this collection represents Grover McCormick’s personal and professional life. Most of the correspondence is between McCormick and his mother Nancy. There are also several letters between McCormick and his children, cousin and his sister Lucia. The first scrapbook contains a hand written timeline of the Ashcraft v. Tennessee case of 1944 and clippings with information on other important cases including McCormick's work with Jerry Lee Lewis.The second scrapbook is...

Scope and Contents The materials that make up this collection represent the life and work of James Van Benschoten Bennett. More specifically, the materials portray his role as the second Director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and as a prolific prison reformer. The most popular theme represented in the collection is prison policy and reform – which is often discussed in articles and speeches composed by Bennett. The collection also contains numerous correspondence and case histories of prison inmates. Pictorial...

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The items in this collection represent Jane Howe Gregory’s extensive research into the Texas Penitentiary system, primarily focusing on issues surrounding female inmates. Journal articles, class notes, and prison records are the most common types of materials in this collection. Prison statistics and prison reforms pertaining to female prisoners are the most common themes.

Scope and Contents

The Ruiz vs Estelle Lawsuit Materials is composed of bound manuals and reports pertaining to the Ruiz vs Estelle Lawsuit.

Scope and Contents The Sanford Bates Papers (1906-1972; fifty two boxes) documents the life of one of the country’s most influential criminologists and prison administrators. These materials depict Sanford Bates’ personal lifeand career as a practicing lawyer in Boston, member of the Massachusetts Legislature and Senate, first Massachusetts Department of Corrections Commissioner, and first Director of the Federal Bureau ofPrisons. Sanford Bates also served as the Executive Director of the Boys Clubs of...

Scope and Contents This collection was purchased and donated by James L. Britton, III. This collection is a combination of the Early Texas Jurists collection and the Distinguished Jurists Who Formed the First Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas collection which was arranged, described, and digitized during a large grant project called Texas Tides. The Early Texas Jurists collection contains autographed documents of 53 early Texas attorneys and judicial officials. The earliest listed is Cephas Adams in a...