1From Thomas Jefferson to William A. Coffey, 4 September 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
Th: Jefferson returns his thanks to mr Coffey for this views of the invite of the N. Y. State prison. it will certainly have effect towards reforming our ideas of the penitentiary system which however humana does not answer the purposes of correction. it is high time to return to the original idea of solitary imprisonmt debarred of all employment. the style too of the composn, excepting some...
2To Thomas Jefferson from William A. Coffey, 19 August 1823 (Jefferson Papers)
I herewith send you a copy of “Inside Out”, a work just published in this city for the benefit of its Author, which you will please to accept from him . Divested of his profession, and with a dependant family, without the means of acquiring a livelihood but by the labours of his pen, he has made a trifling attempt at Authorship in the compiling of this work, with the hope in some degree of...