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 attorney general of Massachusetts is the Commonwealth’s chief legal officer.  Const Amend Art 48 Init, Pt 2, S 3 requires that an initiative petition be signed by ten qualified voters of Commonwealth and submitted to the attorney general, who certifies its compliance with the state constitution and prepares a summary thereof for the election ballot.  Series is created by the first assistant attorney general’s unit within that bureau to conduct constitutional review.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year
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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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Scope and Content: The State Primary School, opened at the State Almshouse at Monson in 1866 and continuing after the almshouse’s closing in 1872 until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offender.  Inmates were paid for farm work at the school and some received other financial contributions.  Series records funds received for inmates each month (amount of new check, amount received) and amount paid out to them.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by inmate, thereunder chronologically by month
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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 number
Notes: Spine title: History of inmates
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Scope and Content: The Massachusetts Dept. of Correction is responsible for administering the state correctional system and providing custodial and rehabilitative services to persons sentenced to state correctional institutions. Inmate case files consist of records submitted to or created by the Dept. of Correction and predecessors, also the Parole Board and its predecessors, primarily concerning oversight of parole, probation, and classification.
Arrangement: In roughly chronological sequences, thereunder alphabetically
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