Search Help

How does this work?
There are many ways to search the collections of the Freedom Archives. Below is a brief guide that will help you conduct effective searches. Note, anytime you search for anything in the Freedom Archives, the first results that appear will be our digitized items. Information for items that have yet to be scanned or yet to be digitized can still be viewed, but only by clicking on the show link that will display the hidden (non-digitized) items. If you are interested in accessing these non-digitized materials, please email info@freedomarchives.org.
Exploring the Collections without the Search Bar
Under the heading Browse By Collection, you’ll notice most of the Freedom Archives’ major collections. These collections have an image as well as a short description of what you’ll find in that collection. Click on that image to instantly explore that specific collection.
Basic Searching
You can always type what you’re looking for into the search bar. Certain searches may generate hundreds of results, so sometimes it will help to use quotation marks to help narrow down your results. For instance, searching for the phrase Black Liberation will generate all of our holdings that contain the words Black and Liberation, while searching for “Black Liberation” (in quotation marks) will only generate our records that have those two words next to each other.
Advanced Searching
The Freedom Archives search site also understands Boolean search logic. Click on this link for a brief tutorial on how to use Boolean search logic. Our search function also understands “fuzzy searches.” Fuzzy searches utilize the (*) and will find matches even when users misspell words or enter in only partial words for the search. For example, searching for liber* will produce results for liberation/liberate/liberates/etc.
Keyword Searches
You’ll notice that under the heading KEYWORDS, there are a number of words, phrases or names that describe content. Sometimes these are also called “tags.” Clicking on these words is essentially the same as conducting a basic search.

Search Results

Letter to Wallace H. Cheney Letter to Wallace H. Cheney
Author: Jan SuslerPublisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1991Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
CEML response to BOP General Counsel Cheney's letter dated 12/31/1991. exposes inconsistencies in statements that there are no documents associated with the plans of USP Florence, CO. Asserts FOIA request. Part of packet (Enclosure 9)
The Women's High Security Unit in Lexington, KY The Women's High Security Unit in Lexington, KY
Author: Jan SuslerPublisher: Yale Journal of Law and LiberationYear: 1989Volume Number: Vol. 1-1 FallFormat: ArticleCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
This article centers on Baraldini v. Meese, a case that arose as a result of Congressional and public inquiry into the conditions at FCI Lexington HSU. The suit asserted that placement in the unit violated the prisoners' First Amedment rights of expression and association, that placement without prior hearing violated Fifth Amendment due process rights and that the conditions violated the women's Eight Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.
Women's High Security Unit, Lexington KY Update Report to Amnesty International Women's High Security Unit, Lexington KY Update Report to Amnesty International
Authors: Jan Susler, Adjoa Aiyetoro, Elizabeth Fink, Mary K. O'Melveny, Margaret L. RatherDate: 11/22/1989Volume Number: 22-NovFormat: ReportCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Reproduction of update to the August 1988 Amnesty International Report on Lexington Control Unit.
"Dear Women"; Open House at the camp and Women's Unit federal correctional Institution, Marianna, Florida, June 21-24, 1988; Federal Prison Camp, Marianna, Florida "Dear Women"; Open House at the camp and Women's Unit federal correctional Institution, Marianna, Florida, June 21-24, 1988; Federal Prison Camp, Marianna, Florida
Authors: Jan Susler, Sue SturtzCollection: Marianna Penitentiary
A series of descriptions and accounts on the Marianna FCI from various authors before its opening
FWD: America Behind Bars: One in 150 in Prison Jail FWD: America Behind Bars: One in 150 in Prison Jail
Author: Jan SuslerYear: 1999Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Prisons - Stats, General
Forwarded article: America Behind Bars: One in 150 in prison/Jail, New York Times, week in review. March 7, 1999