James V(an Benschoten) Bennett (#27)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1920-1967
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Series Description


Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers 1920-67
Penologist, government official. Director, Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice (1937-64). Materials relating to his career, the Bureau, and many prison or crime related issues including gun control, sentencing, and post World War II German prisons.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed November 1972, copyright of these materials has been retained by the donor.  Upon the donor's death, all the death of the donor, all said rights shall pass to the United States. After Mr. Bennett's death in 1978, any property rights he held in the papers passed to the United States. The papers are now in the public domain.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from James Bennett of Bethesda, MD, in November 1972 (Acc. 1973-047).

Extent
About 16,000 pages (9 linear feet, 6 linear inches ; 11 cubic feet)

Classified Items Withdrawn
1 item withdrawn
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents containing national security classified information were removed from this collection.

Closed Items Withdrawn
66 items withdrawn
Selected folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents, in accordance with the donor's deed of gift, were removed from the collection. These include documents which may be used to injure or harass any living person.

All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s).

Items Separated
Items separated include pictures and microfilm.

Date Opened
August 1992

Processed by
Susan D'Entremont and Megan Desnoyers

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections
James V. Bennett Oral History Interviews, John F. Kennedy Library

The Personal Papers of James V(an Benschoten) Bennett (1894-1978)

Biographical Note

Collection Overview
The James V. Bennett Papers collection is arranged into four series: series 1. Personal File; series 2. Administrative File; series 3. Writings, Speeches and Testimony; and series 4. Subject File. The approximate dates of inclusion are 1920 to 1967, with the bulk of the material dating from 1955 to 1966. The papers document Mr. Bennett's activities as Director of the Bureau of Prisons, however, there are few official papers in the collection; most of the documents deal with issues in penology that Mr. Bennett took a special interest in beyond his role as Director. The issues most extensively documented include: firearms and gun control; the Joint Commission on Correctional Manpower and Training; mental responsibility for crime and the insanity plea; and public defenders. Series 1. Personal File contains information about Bennett's friends and relatives, his awards and honors, and celebrations marking milestones in his career. Series 2. Administrative File contains material documenting everyday business of the Bureau of Prisons, and also includes bureaucratic documents necessary for Bennett to work as a government consultant after his retirement. Series 3. Writings, Speeches and Testimony contains articles, correspondence, drafts, research material and transcripts of speeches and testimony by James Bennett. Series 4. Subject File contains information on research Bennett conducted and materials he collected on many topics in the field of penology. Of note in this series is the material on German prisons. Mr. Bennett went to Germany for six months in 1945 to help set up a new civilian prison system. While there, he visited some Nazi concentration camps. Researchers should also consult the James V. Bennett oral history interview at the Kennedy Library. Some official records of the Bureau of Prisons during the Kennedy administration are located in the library's microfilmed records of the Department of Justice. As of June 1992, this microfilm was still closed to researchers.

List of Series
Series 1. Personal File, 1928-1964
Series 2. Administrative File, 1937-1965
Series 3. Writings, Speeches and Testimony, 1928-1966
Series 4. Subject File, 1933-1966  

Series Description

Series 1. Personal File, 1928-1964.
About 800 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series contains articles, awards, correspondence and newsclippings. It includes information about Bennett's friends and relatives, his awards and honors, and celebrations marking milestones in his career.

Series 2. Administrative File, 1937-1965.
About 600 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

Contracts, correspondence, forms, memoranda and reports. contains material documenting everyday business of the Bureau of Prisons. Also contains bureaucratic documents necessary for Bennett to work as a government consultant after his retirement.

Series 3. Writings, Speeches and Testimony, 1928-1966.
About 800 items.
Arrangement: by type, thereunder chronological then alphabetical.

This series contains articles, correspondence, drafts, research material and transcripts of speeches and testimony by James Bennett. This is not a complete set of Bennett's writings and speeches. The first folder contains a list of his writings, many of which are not in the series. A few of these speeches may be found in the subject file. The first part of the series is arranged chronologically. The second part is a book file which contains drafts and research material for a book. Theses drafts may be early drafts of I Chose Prison , or they may be drafts of an unpublished book. The book file is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series 4. Subject File, 1933-1966.
About 6,000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.

This series contains articles, correspondence, case files, legislation, memoranda, newsclippings, notes, press releases, questionnaires, re.ference material and reports. Also includes information on research Bennett conducted and materials he collected on many topics in the field of penology.