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 Morton Sklar, Director, World Organization Against Torture Letter to Morton Sklar, Director, World Organization Against Torture
Publisher: Bonnie Kerness, American Friends Service CommitteeYear: 1998Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter concerning methods of torture used in federal and state correctional facilities. Part of 9/1998 mailing.
Letter to prisoners and prison advocates Letter to prisoners and prison advocates
Publisher: Staughton and Alice LyndYear: 1998Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
summary of conditions reported by more than 20 prisoners at Ohio State Penitentiary. Includes: Criteria for selection; Lack of notice; Mental health; Security or Punishment; exit criteria and methods; Grievance procedure; Changes; medical treatment; Attitudes. Part of 9/1998 mailing.
Public Witness to Opposition to the "Supermax" Public Witness to Opposition to the "Supermax"
Publisher: Jean EdenFormat: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Public witness letter against the building of a supermax prison in Madison, WI. Part of 8/1997 mailing.
Letter to Pierre Sane, Secretary General, Amnesty International Letter to Pierre Sane, Secretary General, Amnesty International
Publisher: Thomas Ruffin Jr.Year: 1996Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter Re: Revised letter about torture of political prisoner--Jalil Muntaqim (a.k.a Anthony Bottom). Part of 11/1996 mailing.
Killing us Softly and scientifically: Update on M.C.C. Killing us Softly and scientifically: Update on M.C.C.
Publisher: National Campaign to Stop Control UnitsYear: 1996Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Update on the current conditions and reality at MCC/MCF, Westville, IN. Part of 11/1996 mailing.
Letter to Defender of Human Rights and Justice Letter to Defender of Human Rights and Justice
Publisher: Douglas Spalding, National Campaign to Stop Control Unit PrisonsYear: 1996Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter calling to action. Speaks of brutality in control Units. Invitation to Spring hearing 2/4/1996.
Segregation Plans Segregation Plans
Publisher: Bonnie Kerness, Year: 1996Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Email detailing new enforcement of segregation plans in Control Units. Details 3 classifications levels. Part of 12/1995 mailing.
Warren Christopher, Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Secretary of State
Publisher: Kenneth Roth, Exec. Director Human Rights Watch; Gay MacDougall, Exec. Director, International Human Rights Law Group; Elaine R. Jones, Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.Year: 1995Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter to Secretary of State expressing interest in the U.S. forthcoming submission to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Includes Summary of Concerns about Race Discrimination in the I.S. Criminal Justice System. Part of 12/1995 mailing.
CEML Letter CEML Letter
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1995Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Urgent letter regarding 10/1995 prison rebellions. Part of 11/1995 mailing.
Questionarre for prisoners Questionarre for prisoners
Publisher: Mike Stephenson; Liz gross, American Friends Service committeeYear: 1995Format: CorrespondenceCollection: American Friends Service Committee
Letter and questionnaire on Control Unit Prisons