While the State Prison maintained detailed and careful records of inmates' movement within the system, it was equally concerned with information regarding the release of prisoners. The prison system maintained a system of indeterminate sentencing which allowed for the early release of prisoners. While some early releases were a result of executive clemency, these cases were rare. Much more common was the parole of an inmate. An inmate might be paroled for good conduct, good reputation in his own community before the crime, potential for rehabilitation, or other extenuating circumstances. Many inmates did not serve their full sentences and Series 1380 documents inmate releases between 1909-1932. Series 2420 is a Parole Register, primarily for the period 1939 to 1958. It does contain some parole records however as early as 1907 and should be consulted for a complete account of paroles.
