Southport Correctional Facility

Viewing Southport records at the New York State Archives research room requires an appointment. Email archref@nysed.gov or call (518) 474-8955 to request a time, then wait for confirmation before traveling. Plan ahead: call several business days in advance, and allow at least one week if your materials need to be retrieved from offsite storage. Before arriving, complete the Research Room Registration Form (items 1–11) and sign the declaration confirming you've read and agree to the Research Room Rules. Records are retrieved twice daily—10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. When you arrive, you'll sign in, show photo ID, and store personal items in a locker. Masks are recommended but not required.

Looking for historical records connected to Southport Correctional Facility? Inmate case files can contain detailed family, social, arrest, confinement, and release/parole information. Not every file is available through the New York State Archives—starting with inmates released after 1956, only selected categories of Southport case files were transferred. To request what the Archives holds, complete the Records Request/Reserve Form and email it to archref@nysed.gov. Submit one form per record series and include the series number/title plus the specific container and file identifiers listed in the archival description. To check whether someone is currently in custody, use the appropriate public lookup (state DOCCS or other local systems) and search by DIN when available, or by full name and date of birth. VINE can also send automated custody-change notifications.

Need Southport Correctional Facility-related inmate records? Start with the New York State Archives research room in Albany. It's on the 11th floor of the Cultural Education Center at the south end of the Empire State Plaza—222 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY 12230. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on New York State holidays. Driving? Paid visitor parking is available in the Madison Avenue Lot; check the Office of General Services Parking Management page for current hours and fees. For requests you can't make in person, the Archives/Archives Partnership Trust lists an Albany office phone and email. Some record or personal-information requests may require a written request with proof of identity.

Requesting historical information tied to Southport Correctional Facility? State Archives staff review inmate case files for disclosure under New York's Freedom of Information Law. These files can include probation, parole, medical, and juvenile criminal history records. Victims' identities in sex-crime records are never disclosed—that information gets withheld from any released files. Unless another law prohibits indefinite disclosure, most Southport records must be disclosed after 75 years. Visiting on-site? Handheld digital cameras are allowed, but tripods and lights are not. Self-service microfilm copies to paper or PDF are free. Any online payments for records or copies go through a PCI-compliant third party—NYSED does not receive or retain your card or account information.