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

promotional poster for an event to commemorate the Attica prison rebellion organized by CEML [Digital Graphic] promotional poster for an event to commemorate the Attica prison rebellion organized by CEML [Digital Graphic]
Author: Josh MacPheePublisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1997Format: GraphicCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
It is a promotional poster for an event to commemorate the Attica prison rebellion, organized by The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown and other Chicago-based groups working around prisons and political prisoners.
Ex-Attica Inmate Wins $4 Million in Suit Over Reprisals After 1971 Uprising; Letter on commemoration event for Attica rebellion Ex-Attica Inmate Wins $4 Million in Suit Over Reprisals After 1971 Uprising; Letter on commemoration event for Attica rebellion
Author: Robert D. McFaddenPublisher: New York Times; Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1997Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article on 2.8 billion liability suit filed by former Attica inmates, including featured Frank Smith, in 1974. Request for donations and advertisement for event commemorating Attica rebellion
Cold Storage: Super-Maximum Confinement in Indiana Cold Storage: Super-Maximum Confinement in Indiana
Publisher: Human Rights Watch.Year: 1997Format: ReportCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Human Rights Watch report on Human Rights Violations. Includes: Introduction; Summary and Recommendations; The Development of Super-Maximum Security Confinement in Indiana; The Physical Environment; The Inmate Population; A Day in the Life; Security, Force, Harassment, and Abuse; Psychological Impact of Conditions; Release from the MCF and the SHU.
Walkin' Steel Walkin' Steel
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1997Volume Number: SpringFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Articles include: The Continuing Saga of Shame, Political Prisoners Commemorate 25th Anniversary of Attica, Political Prisoners speak out on Marion conditions, Women in Prison, NCSDCUP Meeting, Salute to the Rev. Michael Yasutake