According to Section 3639 of the Code of Alabama (1923), prison wardens and road camp superintendents were required to obtain authorization from the Board of Administration before corporal punishment or solitary confinement could in imposed on inmates found to be in violation of prison regulations. The series consists of correspondence between wardens and an Associate Member of the Board of Administration. Wardens' letters contain inmate's name, age, race, sex, serial number, home county, and the offense for which punishment is requested. The Board's authorization specified the nature and extent of punishment that could be administered. Section 3639 of the Code also stipulated that every occasion of punishment of inmates be recorded in the "Record of Punishment," also known as the "Conduct Record." (Series SX-14-16.) These records were also created by the Board of Administration (1923-1939).
