This is a booking form for the Maine State Prison in Thomaston. Booking forms were used to record people’s entry into the prison. They contained information like fingerprints that could identify them.
This form belonged to Austin H. MacCormick (1893 – 1979). He arrived at the prison on August 30, 1915. At the time, he was a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He was studying prisons. An author named Paul Douglas asked MacCormick if he would go undercover as a prisoner to help with a book about state prisons.
MacCormick agreed. He went to the prison for a week and lived in cell 67. He spent his time at the prison building relationships with the prisoners to learn about their lives. He also noticed how the prison worked.
He used the information he learned to show the truth about prison conditions and fight for change in prisons across America.
Source 2 - Document
Source 2 - Document
Occupations of Prisoners
1905 Annual Reports of the Inspectors, Warden and Subordinate Officers of the Maine State Prison
Pgs. 28-29
Maine State Prison Archives
This is a chart from the 1905 Maine State Prison report. It shows what jobs people held before they came into the prison.
All of the people included in this report are men – women of the time mostly had different kinds of jobs.
Notice how certain jobs have higher numbers than others. For example, there are more laborers and farmers than bakers or cigar makers.
What is a laborer? A laborer is an unskilled worker. They usually have to do physical tasks and are not paid very much. Being “unskilled” is the most important part of what defines a laborer – they do not need as much special knowledge. For example, a skilled worker like a carpenter must train and practice to be able to design and build something. A laborer could start a new job without previous experience, though their work is still difficult and important.
LISTEN TO THE SOUND RECORDING
Click on or copy and paste the link below:http://mainesharedhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/What-Kinds-of-People_Sound-Clip.mp3
Transcript (written copy of the sound recording):
“People want to know that the people they’re surrounding themselves around really, really care about them. People want to be closer to their loved ones, or be able to experience making a con-nection with someone that could be a loved one. Those are the things that don’t happen here.
And so every night when people go to bed here, and either you’re looking at the ceiling or you’re looking at the bottom of the bunk above you, at those moments you’re really in touch with where your fears are, and what you want to do. And people don’t want to die in prison. Nobody wants to die in prison. And nobody wants to die – not just being alone, but let me personalize this a little bit.
Not only do I not want to die in prison, but I don’t want to die with this stigma that is associated with my being in prison. I don’t want people to say, ‘yeah, Bobby Payzant could’ve, should’ve done all this, but he chose to be this instead.’ I don’t want the actions of my past to dictate how I am perceived for the rest of my life. I want the things that I’m doing today to weigh in on that. And I don’t feel like if I continue my life in prison, that that really happens in an adequate manner.
Because you’re locked away, people don’t see you. We’re not given a platform or a format to share who we are. And so people out there, a lot of people who are suffering because they were victimized by people like myself, you know, they have that one view. And nobody’s out there say-ing ‘hey, there’s more to it than that.’ While at the same time acknowledging their grief and their pain.
Because I don’t want anyone to misunderstand what I say – I own what I did, and my victim, and I made sure I said this to him in court- did not have that coming to him. He didn’t deserve that. And I live with that. You know, because if someone knows me and they get to know me when I’m not high, when I’m not making bad decisions, they know that I’m a very caring person and that I want to add something to your life, I don’t want to take away.
And so to have become that person that was stealing and taking away from people, and neglect-ing the person who I am, my core self, you know. That eats me up. That eats me up. And I can’t say sorry enough times. So what do I do? I think about it, and I say, okay, well moving forward, be-cause I have to move forward, what do I do? “
Interview with Bobby Payzant – What Kinds of People are in Prison
2014
SafeSpace Radio
Full interview available at https://safespaceradio.com/prisoners-and-hospice
At the time of this interview, Bobby Payzant was serving 23 years at the Maine State Prison for assault (physically hurting others). The Maine State Prison is a maximum-security prison located in Warren, Maine.
This is a clip from a 2014 radio interview. The woman’s voice that you hear is Dr. Anne Hallward, the radio program’s host.
In this clip, Bobby talks about the experience of being in prison, thinking about how you are seen by people on the outside.
In his free time at the prison, Bobby is a hospice volunteer. This means that he gives end-of-life care to his fellow inmates. He has a lot of experience talking with and helping inmates who are dying.
Freedom & Captivity Primary Source Sets developed in collaboration between the Maine State Archives, Maine State Library, and Maine State Museum.
