A. LaMont Smith collection, 1932-1989

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Summary

Creators:
Smith, A. LaMont
Abstract:
The collection contains research papers and theses; minutes from the California Board of Corrections; California legislative committee reports; information on county jails and detention facilities in California; inmate counseling; jail standards for California; reports on probation and parole in California. The collection also includes materials from the UNRRA. These items are mainly guides and manuals on how to handle the problem of displaced persons in Germany after World War II.
Extent:
5.5 linear feet
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

A. LaMont Smith collection. MSS 299. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library.

Background

Scope and content:

The Collection includes Academic research papers and theses; minutes from the California Board of Corrections; California legislative committee reports; pamphlets and articles on capital punishment; California Deerings Codes; information on county jails and detention facilities in California; European Criminology; inmate counseling; jail standards for California; reports on probation and parole in California; California Rules and Regulations; California Youth Authority; the First Asian Pacific Conference on Juvenile Delinquency; other printed material that are not directly related to California’s correctional system; and published books and text books that are related to the study of criminology. The collection also consists of materials from the UNRRA. These items are mainly guides and manuals on how to handle the problem of displaced persons in Germany after WWII. There are some items that do contain some personal information on displaced persons. Also in the collection are items that pertain to the Nuremberg Trials, which Dr. Smith had the privilege of attending. There is one page of handwritten notes by Dr. Smith that describes a session of the hearing and the physical appearance of some of the war criminals on trial.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. A. LaMont Smith, a Criminal Justice Consultant, had a long and distinguished career in the criminal justice field. He began his career in 1935, as the Assistant County Probation Officer in San Bernardino, California. In 1939, he became a Warden’s Assistant and Parole Officer for the U.S. Department of Justice at Terminal Island. In 1941, Smith became First Associate Superintendent of the new prison in Chino, California, where he was responsible for developing individualized treatment programs for minimum-security facilities. In 1944, Smith earned his Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. In that same year the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) recruited him to become a Team Director in Regensburg, Germany to locate free-living Displaced Persons and provide them with food, shelter, and medical care. In 1952, he became the Executive officer of the California Board of Corrections, where he was responsible for researching and implementing minimum jail standards, and providing plans for new construction or remodeling of jails. In 1958, he received his Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. In 1960, he became a faculty member of the School of Criminology, University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley Dr. Smith taught probation, parole and correctional administration courses for both upper division and graduate students. In 1968, Dr. Smith became a faculty member of the Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency and Corrections, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He was primarily involved in developmental research and new training procedures for the U.S. Department of State programs for correctional administrators from foreign countries. In 1969, Dr. Smith was the First Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Corrections. In 1977, he became a Criminal Justice Consultant traveling to Arizona, Washington, Europe, and Asia conducting courses and seminars on various aspects of the Criminal Justice system in the United States. In 1979, Dr Smith was a visiting Professor of Justice to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and at the U.S. Air Force Base, Sembach, West Germany.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection open for research.

Terms of access:

Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Preferred citation:

A. LaMont Smith collection. MSS 299. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library.

Location of this collection:
University of the Pacific, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University Library
Stockton, CA 95211, US
Contact:
(209) 946-2404
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