Seeking father's prison records from the 1960s

Question

My father met and married my mother under Steve Thompson while here in California. I know he had a wife and child in Detroit when he fled.

Cara Jensen · Answer

Dear Ms. Thompson, &#160; Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! &#160; We searched the National Archives Catalog and located 2 series in the Records of District Courts of the United States (Record Group 21) that includes records of criminal cases in the Southern (Detroit) Division of the Eastern District of Michigan for the 1960s that may have the court case records for Walter Ransom Williams.&#160; For access to these records, please contact the National Archives at Chicago (RM-CH) via email at chicago.archives@nara.gov . &#160; Once you have determined the sentence and any incarceration location from the court case files, please contact History Hub or the National Archives to request Federal inmate records.&#160; Please note that not all inmate files have been retained as permanent records. &#160; Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RM-CH or other NARA reference units. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience. &#160; We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! &#160;