Oklahoma Historical Society Archives Prison Records
The state archives now provide public access to approximately 400,000 inmate records from the state penitentiary.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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The Oklahoma Historical Society houses a collection of 400,000 archived inmate cards from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. These records are now available for public request via the organization's website.
Why it matters
These archived documents provide a detailed look at the penal history of the state during the mid-20th century. By opening these files, the society allows residents to explore the personal data and institutional history contained within.
The collection holds 400,000 individual inmate cards containing fingerprints, photographs, and personal information. Records span from 1930 to 1950, documenting individuals who were processed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.
The players
Oklahoma Historical Society
This state agency is responsible for preserving and providing access to the historical documents and records of Oklahoma.
Nannie Doss
She was a serial killer who began serving a life sentence at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1955.
Woodrow Wilson Rawls
He is an individual whose personal records are included within the historical inmate collection from the 1930s.
The details
The files include historical details on notable individuals, such as Woodrow Wilson Rawls and Nannie Doss, the latter of whom began serving a life sentence at the facility in 1955. Members of the public can submit requests to access these files through the official Oklahoma Historical Society website.
Timeline
The Oklahoma State Penitentiary opened during the 1900s.
The archived inmate cards span the period from 1930 to 1950.
Nannie Doss began serving a life sentence at the facility in 1955.
Legal Context
The availability of these records follows a pattern set by the 1930s to 1950s Oklahoma state prison operational period. This archive marks a departure from restricted institutional access by providing the public with digitized or searchable paths to previously closed personnel files.
Residents can utilize these records to research family history or investigate the administrative records of the state penal system. The initiative provides a new, official channel for individuals to obtain information that was previously held in private institutional storage.
The takeaway
Accessing historical inmate records can be a valuable tool for genealogical research or understanding the local criminal history of the mid-20th century. Individuals interested in these files should prepare specific identifying information to assist the historical society in locating relevant records.
Further reading
For more on the state's legal history and documentation, visit the Oklahoma Criminal Justice section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KFOR 4 Oklahoma City.
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