I emailed the AL State Archives at [email protected] to ask what records they had regarding convicts in the Alabama Penitentiary. My specific inmate of interest was there in 1860. Here's the response I received today: <quote> Our state convict records don't begin until 1885, so unfortunately, your ancestor's records would not be included. Nancy Dupree Senior Archivist [email protected] Alabama Department of Archives and History P. O. Box 300100 Montgomery, AL 36130-0100 www.archives.state.al.us <unquote> Thus, the reason the other listmember had success in finding his ancestor's convict records was because the man was there in prison in 1897. By the way, the convict records beginning in 1885 are not on-line. Thanks again for everyone's comments and interest. Donna Sarchet Plainview, TX