Elam Lynds
Encyclopedia
Captain Elam Lynds was the creator of the Auburn system
starting in 1821 and was Warden of Sing Sing from 1825 to 1830.
in 1784. His parents moved to Troy, New York
, when he was an infant. He learned the hatter's trade and worked at it for some years. In the War of 1812
he held a captain's commission in a New York regiment. When the Auburn State Prison was opened in 1817, Captain Lynds was made the first principal keeper, and four years afterwards he became Warden of Auburn State Prison. He made many experiments with a view to furnishing better occupation and to improving the general condition of the prison. He devised the main features of what is now known as the Auburn System
of imprisonment. When it was proposed to erect a new state prison at Mount Pleasant, New York
on the Hudson River
, Captain Lynds was selected to take charge of the enterprise. He began this work in 1823 and successfully prosecuted it for four years with prison labor, when the Sing Sing Prison was completed according to the original plan. After his retirement from the prison service he lived in New York City, where he died in 1855.
Auburn system
The Auburn system is a penal method of the 19th century in which persons worked during the day in groups and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times...
starting in 1821 and was Warden of Sing Sing from 1825 to 1830.
Biography
Elam Lynds was born in Litchfield, ConnecticutLitchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
in 1784. His parents moved to Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, when he was an infant. He learned the hatter's trade and worked at it for some years. In the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
he held a captain's commission in a New York regiment. When the Auburn State Prison was opened in 1817, Captain Lynds was made the first principal keeper, and four years afterwards he became Warden of Auburn State Prison. He made many experiments with a view to furnishing better occupation and to improving the general condition of the prison. He devised the main features of what is now known as the Auburn System
Auburn system
The Auburn system is a penal method of the 19th century in which persons worked during the day in groups and were kept in solitary confinement at night, with enforced silence at all times...
of imprisonment. When it was proposed to erect a new state prison at Mount Pleasant, New York
Mount Pleasant, New York
Mount Pleasant is a town in Westchester County, New York, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 43,724.-Geography:...
on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, Captain Lynds was selected to take charge of the enterprise. He began this work in 1823 and successfully prosecuted it for four years with prison labor, when the Sing Sing Prison was completed according to the original plan. After his retirement from the prison service he lived in New York City, where he died in 1855.