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Prior to the creation of the State Board of Pardons in 1897 (L. 1897, p. 272), all parole activity was handled by the Commissioners of the Penitentiary, while applications for executive clemency went directly of the Office of the Governor.
The new three-member board, appointed by the Governor, assumed the administration of the state's parole acts, the first of which was enacted in 1895 (L. 1895, p. 158). The board usually met monthly to investigate and make decisions on parole applications from inmates of the penitentiaries at Joliet and Chester. The board's responsibilities encompassed the setting of conditions under which parole could be granted, the granting of parole, and the determining of parole violations.
In order to assist the Governor in handling applications for executive clemency the board further was empowered to regulate the manner of applying for executive clemency, to conduct hearings on all applications, and to make reports and recommendations to the Governor on every case. In this area the board functioned solely in an advisory and review capacity; its authority in no way limited the constitutional power of the Governor to act in executive clemency cases.
The State Board of Pardons was abolished in 1917 and its paroling and pardoning responsibilities were transferred to the Division of Pardons and Paroles in the Department of Public Welfare (L. 1917, p. 2). At that time the division's parole jurisdiction expanded to include inmates of all correctional institutions in the state. While operating in the Department of Public Welfare the Parole and Pardon Board varied in size from seven to nine members.
As part of the consolidation of all state law enforcement agencies all powers and duties formerly vested in the Parole and Pardon Board of the Department of Public Welfare were transferred to the Division of Correction in the Department of Public Safety in 1941 (L. 1941. vol. 1, p. 1214). This division, composed of five to seven members appointed by the Governor, continued to operate until the Department of Public Safety was abolished in 1970.
At that time the Parole and Pardon Board became a separate division in the newly created Department of Corrections (P.A. 76-436, p. 1004). Currently the board is composed of ten members and continues to act as the paroling authority for the Adult and Juvenile Divisions of the Department of Corrections and advises the Governor on executive clemency cases.
Listed below are all correctional institutions for which Parole and Pardon Board records currently are held. Since records often span years in which institutional names changed, name variations also have been noted. Current names are printed in capital letters.
JOLIET/STATEVILLE:
1860-1933 Illinois State Penitentiary
1919 Stateville section opened
1933-1973 Illinois State Penitentiary (Joliet/Stateville Branch)
1973- JOLIET CORRECTIONAL CENTER
1973- STATEVILLE CORRECTIONAL CENTER
MENARD:
1867-1933 Southern Illinois Penitentiary at Chester
1933-1973 Illinois State Penitentiary (Menard Branch)
1973- MENARD CORRECTIONAL CENTER
PONTIAC:
1867-1933 Illinois State Reformatory at Pontiac
1933-1973 Illinois State Penitentiary (Pontiac Branch)
1973- PONTIAC CORRECTIONAL CENTER
VANDALIA:
1917-1973 Illinois State Farm at Vandalia
1973- VANDALIA CORRECTIONAL CENTER
DWIGHT:
1927-1973 Illinois State Reformatory for Women
1973- DWIGHT CORRECTIONAL CENTER
SHERIDAN:
1949-1953 Illinois State Reformatory at Sheridan
1953-1973 Illinois Industrial School for Boys
1973- SHERIDAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER
GENEVA:
1893-1901 State Home for Juvenile Female Offenders
1901-1973 Illinois State Training School for Girls at Geneva
1973- ILLINOIS YOUTH CENTER AT GENEVA
ST. CHARLES:
1901-1905 State Home for Delinquent Boys
1905-1939 St. Charles School for Boys
1939-1973 Illinois State Training School for Boys at St. Charles
1973- ILLINOIS YOUTH CENTER AT ST. CHARLES
Access to these records is restricted by the Freedom of Information Act (P.A. 83-1013) and the Unified Code of Corrections (Ill. Rev. Stat.,
ch. 38).
403.001
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS. Ca. 1940-1943; 1957-1961. 2 cu. ft. No index.
Records primarily comprise board correspondence concerning applications for parole, pardon, or executive clemency; requests for information on board rules and procedures; requests from out-of-state applicants for permission to serve parole in Illinois; requests for applicants' institutional records; requests for restoration of citizenship rights; and arrest warrants of parole violators. Records also include fingerprint cards of inmates on ninety-day conditional release, monthly reports on final discharges, sociologist-actuary reports, parole progress reports, and warden reports on inmates received and released.
403.002
INSTITUTIONAL JACKETS. 1893-1965. 865 cu. ft. and 193 microfilm rolls. Index for microfilm only.
Parole Board case files are for inmates of statewide correctional institutions. On the outside of each jacket are listed inmate's name, aliases, register and case numbers, race, age, birthplace and birth date, citizenship status, colors of hair and eyes, nationality, religious affiliation, educational background, marital status and number of children, former occupation, smoking and drinking habits, birthplaces and current address of parents, and age at which inmate left home.
Also listed is information relating to the inmate's criminal record such as a description of the crime, county in which trial was held, court term, plea entered by inmate, date and term of sentence, dates received at diagnostic depot and correctional institution, names of trial judge and state's attorney, names and register numbers of associates involved in crime, and name and address of correspondent. Also included is a brief summary of inmate's previous criminal, punishment, and parole record; inmate's progressive merit system rating; record of institutional transfers; dated notations of all board actions and any protests made to them; and date application for parole or pardon filed.
The amount and type of material within each jacket varies greatly depending both on the number of offenses committed by the inmate and the number of appearances made before the board. Often information contained in various reports is duplicative; so the types of data listed only once below may appear many times in different formats throughout the file. The following types of material usually are found in all institutional jackets: front and profile photographs of inmate; correspondence with parole officers, law enforcement agencies, and correction officials concerning circumstances surrounding the crime, recommendations for or against parole, and notification of parole violations; letters of protest from trial judge, state's attorney, and witnesses; transcripts of Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint records; stenographic verbatim reports of board hearings; board questionnaires; prediction reports; parole progress reports; classification reports; parole violation reports; mental health reports; statements of fact; copies of pleas, judgments, and grand jury findings; departmental orders for discharge; letters recommending final discharge and restoration of citizenship rights; final discharge orders; and orders for release signed by the Governor.
Board questionnaires, completed by the inmates, contain information on inmate's previous residences, employment record, and personal references; whether inmate was arrested by police for crime currently in prison for; date of arrest; names of arresting officer and police station taken to; and description of previous convictions and sentences served. Prediction reports, submitted by sociologist-actuaries, include in addition to the personal data listed above an evaluation of the inmate's personality and intelligence, an assessment of inmate's adjustment to institutional life, summary of military service record, numerical rating on parole risk factors, summary of previous parole record, post-institutional plans of inmate, and criminological prognosis. Classification reports summarize inmate's previous parole behavior, review social factors, and assign parole violation risk classification to inmate. Parole violation reports list the nature and date of any parole violation, dates warrant issued and inmate arrested, custody date, and date returned to correctional institution.
Institutional jackets on microfilm include only those cases at Joliet, Menard, and Pontiac that were closed prior to 1930. These files often contain additional material, such as newspaper clippings relating to the crime and inmate's correspondence, which were weeded from later files. Overall, institutional jackets are held for inmates of these institutions:
Joliet
1899-1965
Stateville
Ca. 1919-1965
Menard
1893-1965
Pontiac
1915-1965
Dwight
1930-1965
Sheridan
1950-1959
St. Charles
December 24, 1937
1 jacket only
403.003
INMATE RECORD CARDS. 1886-1931. 5 cu. ft. No index.
Record cards are for inmates confined at Joliet, Menard, and Pontiac. Entries include inmate's name, any aliases, age, weight, height, race, nativity, occupation, citizenship and marital status; whether wife living and number of children; whether employed at time of arrest; register numbers of inmate and any associates involved in crime; description of crime; county in which trial held; plea entered by inmate; names of trial judge and state's attorney; term of sentence and date handed down; date inmate received at correctional institution; description of previous criminal record; date inmate due for Parole and Pardon Board hearing; dated notations of board action; date of parole; name and address of person to whom paroled; remarks about parole, parole violations, and institutional conduct record; and a brief evaluation of inmate's physical and mental condition.
For inmates at St. Charles entries include inmate's name, register number, and birth date; colors of complexion, hair, and eyes; height, weight, and other distinguishing features; names, addresses, and nationalities of parents; whether parents living; name and address of nearest living relative; dates committed into custody and received at St. Charles; cause of commitment; county and city in which trial held; names of trial judge and county probation officers; name of individual transporting inmate to St. Charles; dated notations on any change in status; date granted parole; and the name and address of person to whom paroled. Record cards were held only for those inmates who did not have institutional jacket files.
Record cards are held for inmates of these institutions:
Joliet
1886-1925
1.5 cu. ft.
Menard
1889-1925
1 cu. ft.
Pontiac
1904-1930
1.5 cu. ft.
St. Charles
1921-1931
1 cu. ft.
403.004
PAROLE DOCKET BOOKS. 1910-1924. 9 vols. Index.
Docket book entries include docket date, inmate's name and register number, county in which trial held, and orders of the board (i.e., approval, denial, or revocation of parole; conditions under which parole was granted). Occasionally listed under board orders are names and addresses of persons to whom inmates were paroled.
Docket books are held for these institutions:
Joliet
October 1911-November 1924
4 vols.
Menard
October 1910-November 1924
3 vols.
Pontiac
September 1918-December 1924
2 vols.
For later dockets see RS 403.005.
403.005
PAROLE DOCKETS. January 1919-October 1962. 80 vols. No index.
Entries in all dockets of Parole Pardon Board hearings include docket date, names of board members present, type of docket or cause considered (e.g., regular docket, special docket, parole violations, continuances,
outlists), name and register number of each inmate under consideration, description of crime, county in which trial held, nature of board action, voting record of each board member, and total board vote.
For dockets concerning parole violations variously included are date inmate received at correctional institution, amount of time served at time of parole violation, date paroled, to whom paroled, type of parole violation, number of reports to parole officer inmate credited with, date returned to correctional institution, time left to be served, and date discharge due.
All dockets for Pontiac also indicate inmate's race, total number of months spent at correctional institution, number of good months, number of months lost, number of months spent at current grade of progressive merit system, and number of months left to serve. Interspersed among Pontiac dockets is a small amount of correspondence with officials of the Departments of Public Welfare and Public Safety and correctional institutions.
Parole dockets are held for cases involving inmates of these institutions:
Joliet
February 1919-November 1920; January 1923-October 1962
21 vols.
Stateville
November 1933-October 1962
14 vols.
Menard
February 1919-October 1962
21 vols.
Pontiac
January 1919-October 1962
20 vols.
Dwight
September 1931-October 1962
2 vols.
Sheridan
1950-1959; 1961-1962
1 vol.
St. Charles
1932-1944; 1946-1950
1 vol.
For earlier dockets see RS 403.004.
403.006
ABSTRACT OF PAROLE DOCKETS. 1935-1945. 5.5 cu. ft. Index, 1941-1945.
Record is abstracted from PAROLE DOCKETS, RS 403.005. For each case under consideration record includes inmate's name and register number, county in which trial held, description of crime, date inmate received at correctional institution, and dated notations of board actions (e.g., approval or denial of parole, approval of industrial credits, revocation of final discharge, declaration of parole violation). Tally of board vote occasionally is included. Beginning in 1941 the age of each inmate also is included.
Abstracts of dockets are held for these institutions:
Joliet
1935-1944
0.5 cu. ft.
Stateville
1935-1943
1 cu. ft.
Menard
1935-1945
2 cu. ft.
Pontiac
1935-1945
2 cu. ft.
403.007
PAROLE REGISTER. 1905-1935. 4 vols. No index.
Register of paroles granted to inmates of correctional institutions include inmate's name and register number, description of crime, county in which trial held, date inmate received at correctional institution, sentence, name and address of person to whom paroled, date of parole, date final discharge ordered, and remarks on any change in parole status. Registers for the State Training School for Girls at Geneva include inmate's date of birth but do not indicate nature of the crime.
Parole and Pardon Board registers held for these institutions:
Menard
1905-1912
1 vol.
Geneva
1907-1935
2 vols.
St. Charles
1909-1931
1 vol.
403.008
ORDERS FOR CONTINUANCE. October 1912-August 1917. 1 vol. Index.
Record is of board orders for the continuance of parole hearings at Menard. Entries include date and place board meeting held, names of board members present, name and register number of inmate, date hearing to be continued, date order issued, and clerk's attesting signature.
403.009
ORDERS FOR PAROLE. January 1911-October 1917. 2 vols. Index.
Record is of board orders for the parole of inmates confined at Joliet. Entries include date and place board meeting held, names of board members present, date parole order issued, name and register number of inmate receiving parole, and clerk's attesting signature.
403.010
ORDERS FOR DISCHARGE. 1912-1948. 19 vols. Index.
Record is of board orders for the discharge of inmates. Entries include date and place board meeting held, names of board members, date discharge order issued, inmate's name and register number, county in which trial held, description of crime, date sentence handed down, date and name of correctional institution in which confined, length of term completed, date paroled, and clerk's attesting signature.
Discharge orders are held for inmates of these institutions:
Joliet
July 1914-April 1942
5 vols.
Menard
January 1914-July 1944
5 vols.
Pontiac
April 1912-May 1948
8 vols.
Dwight
June 1934-June 1944
1 vol.
403.011
DOCKET OF APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS FOR EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY. April 1918-February 1922. 1 vol. No index.
Docket entries include term date, inmate's name and register number, name of county in which trial was held, description of crime, and name of correctional institution in which inmate confined. Docket also indicates whether trial judge and state's attorney were notified of filing of application or petition. Frequently listed under the heading "orders of the board" are the following entries: date and by whom application or petition filed, date and by whom case argued, names of attorneys representing applicant and state, date and description of board decision on application or petition, and date and description of executive action.
For EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY FILES, 1835-1973, see RS 103.096.
403.012
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR. 1901-1963. 57 vols. Index.
Record is of recommendations made to the Governor by the board concerning applications for executive clemency. A copy of each recommendation includes a board statement which contains applicant's name and all information relevant to the case. Statement includes a description of the crime, name of the county in which trial was held, names of trial judge and state's attorney, plea entered by applicant, names of associates involved in commission of the crime, sentence term and correctional institution in which confined, date applicant received at correctional institution, and excerpts from statements submitted by trial judge and state's attorney.
Often included in the recommendations are references to and evaluations of reports on applicant (e.g., prison conduct and punishment record, prediction report of sociologist-actuary, medical and psychiatric reports), biographical sketch of applicant, discussion of applicant's post-institutional plans, and discussion of testimony and excerpts from letters submitted in support or protest of application. Statement concludes with the board's formal recommendation and is occasionally followed by names of board members and the Governor and the date executive action taken.
Original recommendations, signed by the Governor and board members, are found in EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY FILES, RS 103.096.
403.013
CLASSIFICATION LIST. September 1920. 0.1 cu. ft. No index.
Classifications were assigned inmates by the staff of the State Farm at Vandalia and approved by the Parole and Pardon Board. Each inmate's name and register number are listed along with an alphabetical designation (e.g., F, X) and a date (probably for final discharge) or the designation "life."
These records are available at the Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.
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