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

Fact Sheet on the Toxic Water at Marion Prison Fact Sheet on the Toxic Water at Marion Prison
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: FlyerCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Crab Orchard water issue at Marion. Advertisement for demonstration on 5/3-5/5
Close Marion and All Control Unit Prisons Close Marion and All Control Unit Prisons
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: MonographCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Information on conditions at Marion lockdown
Letter to Friends Letter to Friends
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Regarding first issue of Walkin' Steel
Demand Congressional hearings Demand Congressional hearings
Author: Mariel NanasiPublisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Letter to friends requesting pressure be placed on the Bureau of Prisons for congressional hearings regarding the "Marionization" of prisons and building of Control Units at Florence.
A Call for Action A Call for Action
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: FlyerCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Advertizes the Marion lockdown seventh anniversary conference and rally against proposed USP Florence. Includes schedule of events.
Letter to Friends Letter to Friends
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Regarding 11/17/1990 meeting.
Marion Warden tries to douse Water Concerns; Update on CEML Water Campaign Marion Warden tries to douse Water Concerns; Update on CEML Water Campaign
Author: Phil BrinkmanPublisher: Southern Illinoisian; Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article on Marion toxic water issue with CEML letter typed on back.
Bureau of Prisons: Provide Bottled water to Prisoners at Marion Now! Bureau of Prisons: Provide Bottled water to Prisoners at Marion Now!
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Collection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Sticker - Demands clean bottled water for inmates at USP Marion, IL. 8/9/1990
Report to Warden Clark Report to Warden Clark
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Letter to Warden Clark in response to letter on 5/15/1990. Includes: The Water Situation At USP Marion; USP Marion - Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Cites articles from the Chicago Tribune, Amnesty International, and specific prisoners.
Stop the Brutality at Marion Prison! No More Contaminated Water! End the Lockdown! Stop the Brutality at Marion Prison! No More Contaminated Water! End the Lockdown!
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown; National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of WarYear: 1990Format: FlyerCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Advertisement for demonstration on 5/3