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New York

Political repression plays out state by state — shaped by local institutions, prosecutors, and movements for defense. These are the documented political prisoners and cases the census holds for New York.

2,077Documented
25In custody
1,084Released
7Awaiting trial

Eras of repression in New York

Where New York’s entries fall across the census’s historical eras.

1930s 715 1940s 176 1970s 173 1910s 169 1920s 165 1950s 161

Documented cases

2,077 entries in the census — every one stays in the record, whether the case is open or closed.

E
Edward Dingle
Edward Dingle, known as Kimanthi and identified as prisoner 64391, was an Attica prisoner and uprising survivo...
J
John Dingle
John Dingle was among six Black Civilian Conservation Corps recruits interviewed after five days’ imprisonment...
C
Charles Dolan
Charles Dolan faced prosecution for passing out leaflets during the Remington-Rand strike at Tonawanda. The Ju...
I
Irving Dolb
Irving was arrested May 24, 1933 at a Brooklyn open-air meeting opposing eviction of a family with six childre...
M
Morris Dolinsky
Released
Morris Dolinsky was an unemployed mechanic who had lost a leg and helped organize New York City’s League of th...
H
Harry Dombisch
Harry Dombisch was a New York fur worker arrested during the March 1930 conflict around the B. Axel & Co. stri...
H
Harry Dondish
Harry Dondish was arrested for disorderly conduct while on picket duty, according to the contemporary report....
S
Sean Donohue
Released
Sean Donohue is a peace activist who has been arrested for civil disobedience at U.S. military and nuclear wea...
A
Anthony Donovan
Released
Anthony Donovan is a Brooklyn peace activist, musician, and documentary filmmaker whose organizing has include...
L
L. Doran
L. was a picket arrested, fingerprinted and held for investigation in the Foltis-Fischer strike prosecution....
C
Cyril Dore
Cyril Dore was among six Black Civilian Conservation Corps recruits interviewed after five days’ imprisonment...
T
Tom Dostou
Released
Tom Dostou was a field marshal of the Patriot Party, the organization of anti-racist working-class white peopl...
R
Robert Drake
Robert Drake was a Black prisoner at the Queens House of Detention during the October 1970 New York City jail...
J
John Droesser
John Droesser was identified as a Communist and noncitizen in a Home Relief Bureau surveillance report reprodu...
M
Minnie Drofnin
Minnie Drofnin was arrested May 9, 1930 during picketing at the shoe shop at 305 East 45th Street and held on...
E
Edward Drolette
Released
Edward Drolette was a marine engineer and anti-fascist arrested during the July 26, 1935 demonstration aboard...
H
Henry Drozen
Henry Drozen was arrested in a police raid at the Communist Party headquarters at 200 Ellicott Street in Buffa...
J
Jack Dubitsky
Jack Dubitsky was a Communist League member jailed for organizing leaflet distribution demanding free food for...
D
Dubrowski
Dubrowski was individually named among workers arrested during Saturday mass picketing of Brighton Beach baker...
A
Andrew Duggan
Released
Andrew Duggan was an Irish-American supporter of Irish republicanism who lived in New City, New York, and was...
D
Dobrescu Dumitru
Released
Dobrescu Dumitru was a Romanian immigrant arrested without a warrant and held for deportation in February 1936...
A
Alton Dunn
Released
Alton Dunn was a Black Brooklyn motorist detained after Patrolman Higgins accused him of a hit-and-run on June...
W
William Durrell
Released
William Durrell was the publisher and editor of the Mount Pleasant Register who was charged with violations of...
D
Dan D’Avanzi
Dan D’Avanzi was among Brooklyn shoe workers reported convicted of assault on May 6, 1930. Sentencing was anno...

Institutions in New York

Prisons, jails, and detention centers in New York that appear in the census’s case files.

Ellis Island Immigration StationNew York, New York
215 cases
Fort LafayetteNew York, New York
201 cases
Manhattan House of Detention (the Tombs)New York, New York
21 cases
Attica Correctional FacilityAttica, New York
20 cases
Sing Sing Correctional FacilityOssining, New York
15 cases
Ellis IslandNew York, New York
15 cases
Metropolitan Correctional Center, New YorkNew York, New York
13 cases
Metropolitan Correctional CenterNew York, New York
10 cases