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

The Shame of America - Psychological Torture: US Style- The Case of Alejandrina and Susan The Shame of America - Psychological Torture: US Style- The Case of Alejandrina and Susan
Publisher: National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of WarFormat: ArticleCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
In English and Spanish
Special Incapacitation: The Emergence of a New Correctional Facility for Women Political Prisoners Special Incapacitation: The Emergence of a New Correctional Facility for Women Political Prisoners
Author: Gilda ZwermanPublisher: Social JusticeYear: 1988Volume Number: Vol. 15-1Format: ArticleCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Excerpt from Social Justice Vol. 15(1)
Brainwashing in America?: The Women of Lexington Prison Brainwashing in America?: The Women of Lexington Prison
Authors: William A. Ruben, Carlos NormanPublisher: The NationDate: 6/27/1988Volume Number: 27-JunFormat: ArticleCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Reproduction of article
A Living Tomb A Living Tomb
Publisher: National Campaign to Abolish the Lexington Women's Control UnitYear: 1988Format: FlyerCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Originally published in The Nation 3/26/1988
United States of America: The High Security Unit, Lexington Federal Prison, Kentucky United States of America: The High Security Unit, Lexington Federal Prison, Kentucky
Publisher: Amnesty InternationalDate: 8/1988Volume Number: AugustFormat: ReportCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Reproduction of full summary and report.
United States of America: The High Security Unit, Lexington Federal Prison, Kentucky United States of America: The High Security Unit, Lexington Federal Prison, Kentucky
Publisher: Amnesty InternationalDate: 8/1988Volume Number: AugustFormat: ExcerptCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Reproduction of summary published August 1988
Tribunal Statement: From Women PP's and POW in HSU Tribunal Statement: From Women PP's and POW in HSU
Authors: Susan Rosenberg, Silvia Baraldini, Alejandrina TorresDate: 10/1987Volume Number: OctoberFormat: TranscriptCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
Statement given to the UN on 12/12/1988
The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.3 The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.3
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: Video ClipCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
This video continues to examine the women's control unit at Lexington Prison. Susan Rosenberg talks about some of the affects of prolonged isolation and the results of the federal lawsuit against Lexington are discussed.
The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.2 The Lexington Women's Control Unit p.2
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: Video ClipCollection: Lexington Control Unit for Women
This video discusses the conditions of Lexington Prison and how people end up in Lexington control unit. Contains a short interview with a doctor who speaks about the psychological affects of prolonged isolation.