In a message dated 10/10/00 11:52:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time, fitchc@chickasha-ok.org writes: << Can anyone tell me if prison records (state and federal) were kept in the late 1920s and early 1930s? If so, would these records be available to the general public and could they possibly have any pertinent information about the parents of the offender? >> Sheryl I can only speak from my experience and that would be yes. You see I have a black sheep on my wife's side of the family. Hew was charged with Murder in the Second Degree from Black Hawk County, Iowa. He was admitted to the institution on Oct. 29, 1904 to serve a 13 year sentence. This information was gotten from Department of Corrections, Anamosa State Penitentiary. If you know the state or better yet the penitentiary, I would write to them and see what they might have. Besides the above information it also gave his date of birth and that was all. The letter I received stated that very limited records were kept at that time. I hope this might shed some light on you question. Ed