This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/CCC.2ACE/2982.1 Message Board Post: > how I can get old prison records, I need to find a record > from Washington state for the years around 1940 to 1950. Speaking as a 31 year career federal criminal investigator, where is what. For what crime was the person sentenced? If it was a misdemeanor having less than a year imprisonment, there may not be a record. If, for example he/she was imprisoned for public intoxication, there may be a record at a County level, or not. If he was sentenced in Washington State District Courts, there may be a record in WA State Archives. If he was sentenced for a federal crime and served in a federal prison facility, the records would be in a Federal Agency. What do you know about the sentence? Do you know where they served their sentence? If it was of a major crime, there may be court records in archives. This would tell you the full story of the sentence. Also, where is who. If the person is still living, you might not be able to access the information from the State or Federal Government, if the information is frozen. This is extremely rare but does occur. Unless the information it is public record...which it probably is. You also speak of "very important". This is interesting to me as to speak of importance of a prison term of 55-65 years ago. Unless, for example, the subject was alleged to be the father of a child but was in prison at the time of conception? Give some "hypothetical" facts and that may help send you to an agency.