New York State Prison Inspector facts for kids
The Inspector of State Prisons was an important job in New York State a long time ago. This role was created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. People voted for these inspectors across the whole state.
In 1847, three Inspectors were chosen. They were set up so that one new Inspector would be elected every year. Each Inspector served for three years. Their main job was to oversee the state's prisons. This included choosing the people who ran the prisons, called wardens and keepers. They also made sure the prisons were managed well.
The Inspectors had to visit all the state prisons together four times a year. Also, each Inspector was in charge of one of the three main state prisons at the time. These were Auburn State Prison, Sing Sing State Prison, and Clinton State Prison. They had to spend at least one week each month working at their assigned prison.
End of the Inspector Role
In 1876, a change was made to the state's constitution. This change got rid of the Inspector of State Prisons job. Instead, a new position was created: the New York Superintendent of State Prisons. This new Superintendent would take over all the duties of the Prison Inspectors.
The first person to become the Superintendent was Louis D. Pilsbury. He was chosen by Governor Lucius Robinson on February 17, 1877. This marked the end of the Inspector of State Prisons role.
People Who Were Prison Inspectors
Here is a list of the people who served as Inspector of State Prisons:
| Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John B. Gedney | January 1, 1848 | December 31, 1848 | Whig | served a one-year term |
| Isaac N. Comstock | January 1, 1848 | December 31, 1849 | Whig | served a two-year term |
| David D. Spencer | January 1, 1848 | December 31, 1850 | Whig/Anti-Rent | served a three-year term |
| Alexander H. Wells | January 1, 1849 | December 31, 1851 | Whig | |
| Darius Clark | January 1, 1850 | December 31, 1855 | Democratic | served two terms |
| 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 | served two terms |
| Abraham B. Tappen | January 1, 1862 | December 31, 1864 | Union | |
| 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 | served 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 while in office |
| George Wagener | January 1, 1875 | February 17, 1877 | Democratic | office ended by the 1876 Amendment |
| Rodney R. Crowley | January 1, 1876 | February 17, 1877 | Democratic | office ended by the 1876 Amendment |
| Benjamin S. W. Clark | March 2, 1876 | December 31, 1876 | Democratic | appointed to fill a vacant spot |
| Robert H. Anderson | January 1, 1877 | February 17, 1877 | Democratic | office ended by the 1876 Amendment |
