Michele and anyone else interested -

I have found the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) webpage for state
archives and records programs
(http://www.statearchivists.org/states.htm) to be of great help in
searching for available records schedules in different states.  While
the link for Wisconsin did not turn up any relevant documentation that
way (in terms of a general or agency-specific records schedule), there
is a link that will take you to the Records Officers for state agencies.
A Records Officer is listed for the Department of Corrections, and that
is who you probably should get in touch with for answers to your
queries.  Take a look at

http://www.doa.state.wi.us/section_detail.asp?linkcatid=231

then click on the link "Agency Records Officers/Contacts".

I would commend the CoSA webpage referred to for anyone looking for
records retention and disposition schedules in their state, or for folks
like me who sometimes need to see what other jurisdictions are doing.

Cheers!

Mark

G. Mark Walsh, C.A.
Records & Information Analyst
Archival & Records Management Services
Library of Virginia
(804) 692-3650
-----Original Message-----
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Michele McCaughtry
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 9:41 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: state prisoner case files

I am a prison librarian and also a MLIS graduate student at the
Universit=
y 
of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. I work with prisoner case files at times in
our=
 
institution's Records Department (we have approx. 1,000 inmates in our =

medium security prison) and I am familiar with what they contain. I have
=

been making calls and e-mails with state archives and state department
of=
 
corrections record central units to answer some questions - if I have 
already contacted you, thanks for your help! I am expanding now as what
I=
 
have found so far is that it is difficult to find out who would know how
=

to obtain a copy of the record retention schedule for the prisoner (or =

offender is the new wording in some states) case files/social service 
files in their state. Any help obtaining record retention schedules for
=

prisoner case files is greatly appreciated - I only have the state of 
Wisconsin record retention schedule so far for this particular type of =

government record. 
Questions for state archivists: once the files are transferred to the 
state archive from your department of corrections (if indeed they have =

been transferred), I need a contact at the state archive who can tell me
=

how many files or cubic feet of files exist and how far back do they
date=
. 
Are they whole records or samplings? And what are the plans to do with =

these files in future years as the volume increases?
Another issue I would like comments upon: what about personal privacy or
=

law enforcement confidentiality? These records are loaded. When are they
=

open to the public? Does your state archive have many requests from 
researchers to use these types of files?
If you prefer, you can contact me off-list at [log in to unmask] 
Again, I truly appreciate your time and any comments or direction,
Michele McCaughtry
Jackson Correctional Institution Library
N6500 Haipek Rd. P.O. Box 232
Black River Falls, WI 54615-0232

P.S. I am looking for incarcerated persons within the state prison
system=
. 
I am excluding federal prisoners and prisoners of war. Thank you.

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