Arresting
William (Willy) Gunther admitted to the State Penitentiary in 1916.
The Inmate File is a compilation of criminal history information and records of correctional supervision concerning individual inmates. The State Archives has custody of the records of inmates twenty-five (25) years after release from the prison system.
The file contents vary greatly. Early files usually contain very little information; more contemporary files can be voluminous. The name index to the Nevada State Prison Inmate case files covers files dating from 1863 to 1972. Only case files in the Nevada State Archives are indexed. For information on other prison files, contact the Nevada Department of Corrections.
The Nevada State Archives does not have a prison file for every person incarcerated at the Nevada State Prison, especially for historical files dated prior to about 1910.
However, there are ways to find information about prisoners.
The 1865-1917 Biennial Reports to the Legislature, specifically those of the Warden of the Nevada State Prison, enumerated all the prisoners by name, age, nativity, occupation, crime, county received from, sentence, date of receipt and date of discharge.
Department of Corrections Agency History | ![]() |
Inmate Case Files |
1863-1991 |
1700 cu .ft. |
The Inmate File is a compilation of criminal history information and records of correctional supervision concerning individual inmates. The State Archives has custody of the records of inmates twenty-five (25) years after release from the prison system. Some of the following information may be included in these records, though not every file contains all the documents: 1. Mug shot; 2. Fingerprint card; 3. Judgment of conviction; 4. Amended judgment and court orders; 5. District Attorney’s Statement of Fact; 6. Inmate Classification Report; 7. Official certificates for: commutation of sentence, conditional pardon, discharge, pardon, parole, restoration of citizenship; 8. Parole and Probation Revocations; 9. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Previous Offenses. |
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Reports |
1864-1977 |
5 cu. ft. |
Warden's monthly, annual and biennial reports, Superintendent's report on Nevada State Prison and the State Prison Farms, prison contracts and claims, operational logs that record the movement of inmates and guard shifts that form the basis to the institutional reports, as well as specific investigation reports. Records are contained in three regular and two oversize archives boxes. One volume, 1881-1882, NSP-731, is missing from the collection. |
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Prison Commissioner's Minutes |
1864-1947; 1974-1986 |
2.3 cu. ft. |
Minutes of the State Prison Commissioners Meetings. The Governor, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General constitute the State Prison Commissioners, any two of whom constitute a quorum. |
Prison Commission Records |
1978-1993 |
1 cu. ft. |
As de facto secretary of the Commission, the Secretary of State's file includes minutes, procedure, operations, and execution manuals, Department of Prison Information Bulletins, and administrative regulations. One item of special interest in this file is a translation of an article from the Italian periodical Epoca, on gambling in the Nevada penitentiary: "In This Prison You Can Become Rich." |
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Isolation Prison Logs |
1973-1978 |
1.2 cu. ft. |
The logs identify two isolation centers: the medium security at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, and the maximum security. The records are entered in chronological order; there are notations of any usual happening each day. |
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Medical Director's Files |
1982-1995 |
12 cu. ft. |
The Medical Director's Files are loosely arranged in alphabetical order i.e., according to names or topics. The files cover the broad scope of the activities of the prison department. Administrative records include budgets, minutes of the administration, as well as those of the various functional committees, consultation applications, correspondence, and schedules. The legal papers include lawsuits against prison officials and medical staff for medical negligence and malpractice. The medical referrals for cases brought before the Pardon and Parole Board are included in the files. |
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