Behind the Walls: Mississippi Penitentiary Inmates, 1840-1880

The first Mississippi state prison opened its doors in 1840. Behind the Walls is a first attempt to identify the inmates of the first forty years. The Superintendent of the penitentiary was required to provide the governor with an official report regarding the inmates and the condition of the prison itself. The required information varied over the years, but the critical information of name, age, crime, and county where the inmate was sentenced was usually included. While the race of the in...