Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 to 1872.  The State Primary School, opened at the almshouse in 1866 and continuing after its closing until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders.  Per St 1852, c 275, c 7, almshouse inspectors could place minor inmates out on trial with families, where they were often subsequently indentured.  Later school inmates were similarly placed (originally by school inspectors–1866, c 209, s 7; then by school trustees–St 1880, c 208, s 1).  If indenture or similar placement on a term basis was agreed upon, an indenture form or official agreement was drawn up between the inspectors/trustees and the person undertaking to train, educate, and board the inmate until his/her eighteenth birthday (originally twenty-first for boys).
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Indentures and agreements, 1854-1890 (2) Annulled indentures and agreements, 1861-1880; Arranged within each subseries chronologically
Notes: Both subseries likely incomplete; bulk of documents from 1860s and early 1870s.  Many records in duplicate, as originally drawn up. Reel GSU 448: Subseries (1), 1854-1857.  Reel GSU 449: Subseries (1), 1857-1866.  Reel GSU 450: Subseries (1), 1866-1890; Subseries (2)
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Scope and Content: The State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, established in 1877, opened in 1878 as Danvers Lunatic Hospital.  It was renamed Danvers Insane Hospital in 1898 and Danvers State Hospital in 1909.  It was closed in 1992.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by Volume, thereunder alphabetically by name
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Scope and Content: The Psychopathic Dept. of Boston State Hospital was established in 1912.  It became Boston Psychopathic Hospital in 1920; that was renamed Massachusetts Mental Health Center in 1956.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by patient.
Restrictions: Mental health client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 123, s 36. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: Regulation of immigration into Massachusetts was successively the responsibility of the superintendents of alien passengers, 1848-1869 (for Boston, 1848-1863) and more generally the Board of Alien Passengers, 1851-1863; the Board of State Charities through its general agent’s Subdept. of Immigration and Local Business, 1863-ca. 1869 and Subdept. of Immigration, ca. 1869-1879; and the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity, 1879-1886, and State Board of Lunacy and Charity, 1886-1891, through their Division of Immigration, Dept. of Indoor Poor, from 1882 under contract to the U.S. Treasury Dept.  Per the federal  Acts of 1891, c 155, immigration authority was transferred from the states to the federal government.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Index to passengers, 1848-1891; arranged alphabetically by first letter of vessel name. (2) Index to ships, 1868-1871; Arranged alphabetically by surname
Notes: Compiled under sponsorship of U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service by U.S. Works Progress Administration (WPA), 1935-1937. Forms part of: Alien passenger records. Volume 1: Oct. 1868-Dec. 1869.  Volume 2: Jan. 1870-Jan. 1871
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Scope and Content: Bridgewater, Mass., was the site successively of a State Almshouse (1854-1872) for so-called willing and needlessly dependent paupers, and the State Workhouse (1866-1887), for paupers convicted of misdemeanors as well as paupers generally (from 1872), and incorrigible juveniles (1869-1948). The State Workhouse was renamed the State Farm (1887-1955), which also included a State Farm Hospital for the medical needs of all inmates, as well as locals and poor admitted solely for medical treatment. The change in name was in deference to the admission of insane male paupers (1886), although it was  followed by the admission of aged and physically or mentally infirm inmates of the State Prison (1890). Insane admissions were then limited for a time to criminals (1894), forming a division called the State Asylum for Insane Criminals (1895), which was renamed Bridgewater State Hospital (1909). Units at Bridgewater were later added for female prisoners (1909-1930), so-called defective delinquents (males from 1922, females 1926-1954)–mentally impaired inmates requiring segregation from standard inmate or institutionalized populations–and for drug and alcohol addicts (from 1922, females to 1930 only), eventually mostly voluntary admissions. All Bridgewater State Farm facilities and divisions (including prison, almshouse, insane, and medical hospital functions) were administered by a common superintendent. The running of the State Farm, including industries and extensive agricultural operations, relied on work performed by all capable inmates.
Arrangement: In four subseries;  Arranged within each subseries chronologically
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Scope and Content: The Massachusetts Reformatory was opened in 1884 and renamed Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Concord, in 1955.
Arrangement: Arranged by inmate case no
Restrictions: Criminal offender record information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 6, ss 167-178. For conditions of access consult repository 
Notes: Transferred to Archives from MCI Concord, July 1982; others transferred Aug. 1984. Files for 1884-1910 possibly incomplete; those for 1910-1935 missing entirely
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Scope and Content: The State Prison was opened in 1805 at Charlestown, Boston, as a successor to the prison on Castle Island.  During 1878-1884 the prison was closed and inmates kept at Concord.  With that exception, Charlestown remained the state prison until replaced by Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Walpole, 1955-1956.
Arrangement: Arranged by inmate case no
Notes: Transferred to Archives from MCI Walpole, 1981
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Scope and Content: The State Prison Colony began construction in 1927 and was completed in 1931; it was renamed Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Norfolk, in 1955.
Arrangement: Arranged by inmate case no., in two sequences: 1-103, A1-219
Restrictions: Criminal offender record information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 6, ss 167-178. For conditions of access consult repository 
Notes: Files 2057-2219 lacking
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Scope and Content: The Reformatory Prison for Women was opened in Sherborn in 1877.  It was renamed the Reformatory for Women by St 1911, c 181, and because of a redrawn boundary line its fuller designation was changed from the Reformatory for Women at Sherborn to the Reformatory for Women at Framingham by St 1932, c 180, s 24.  Under St 1955, c 770 it received its current name, the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Framingham.
Arrangement: Arranged by inmate case no. within each sequence
Restrictions: Criminal offender record information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 6, ss 167-178. For conditions of access consult repository 
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Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Tewksbury opened in 1854.  It was renamed successively the State Hospital (1900), the State Infirmary (1909), Tewksbury State Hospital and Infirmary (1939), and Tewksbury Hospital (1959)
Arrangement: Arranged by registration no./chronologically by admission date
Notes: Vols. 14-20, 22-74 deaccessioned after filming, 1994; volumes 21 (1874) lacking; volumes 1-13 (1860-1871) deaccessioned, Dec. 1999
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