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

Reflections on Ten Years of the Lockdown at USP Marion Reflections on Ten Years of the Lockdown at USP Marion
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1993Format: MonographCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reflections of current and former prisoners commemorating tenth anniversary of the lockdown on October 27, 1993.
Lawmakers, Guards Push New 'Super' Prison; Edgar Holding Off Support for Prison Lawmakers, Guards Push New 'Super' Prison; Edgar Holding Off Support for Prison
Publisher: Southern EconomistYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of articles from 3/26/1993; 3/31/1993 on the opening of Supermax Prison in Springfield, IL and Gov. Jim Edgar's Task Force on Crime and Corrections.
Super Max Appropriation Super Max Appropriation
Year: 1993Format: ReportCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of p. 471 of appropriated funds. Includes handwritten note highlighting budget for construction of a "close supervision super maximum security prison"
What if You Live in a State That Was So IL. That Headlines Like These Appeared? What if You Live in a State That Was So IL. That Headlines Like These Appeared?
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1993Format: FlyerCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Appeal to write Governor Edgar regarding building of a Supermax in Illinois
Work to Abolish all Control Units: Commemorate 10 Years of the Lockdown at Marion Work to Abolish all Control Units: Commemorate 10 Years of the Lockdown at Marion
Publisher: National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War; Prison Actions Committee; Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1993Format: FlyerCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Advertisement on 10/17/1993 conference. Includes information on speakers.
Letter to Letter to
Author: Paul SimonPublisher: United States SenateYear: 1993Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of letter regarding appearance in sponsoring a conference entitled "American Prison and Sentencing Policy: Developing a National Agenda".
Letter to CEML ATTN: Jerome Gauntlett Letter to CEML ATTN: Jerome Gauntlett
Author: Warden TurnerPublisher: Federal Bureau of PrisonsYear: 1993Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
3/3/1993 Response to 2/14/1993 letter concerning current status of the water supply at US Penitentiary, Marion, Illinoise.