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

PIC and Perceptions of Crime PIC and Perceptions of Crime
Date: 4/27/1998Call Number: PM 299Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource CenterProgram: On The OutsideCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Features excerpts of Ida Robinson and Angela Davis speaking at UCSC concerning the Prison-Industrial Complex and the role of the media in creating perceptions of crime.
Fresh Air Fresh Air
Date: 12/1/1998Call Number: PM 313Format: Cass A & BProducers: National Public RadioProgram: Fresh AirCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Eric Schlosser speaks about the Prison Industrial Complex in America and Vivian Stern speaks about prison systems in other parts of the world.
Normon Solomon at UCSC Normon Solomon at UCSC
Date: 1/15/1998Call Number: PM 334AFormat: Cass ACollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
About media, democracy, and progressive social change.
Interview with Corcoran Prisoners Interview with Corcoran Prisoners
Date: 1/1/1998Call Number: PM 337Format: Cass A & BCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
People imprisoned at Corcoran prison in California.
Prison Awareness Week Prison Awareness Week
Date: 4/24/1998Call Number: PM 355Format: Cass A & BCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Event at UC Santa Cruz, part of Prison Awareness Week, with several former prisoners speaking and many students and others asking questions, and longer remarks by Professor Angela Davis on the prison system.
The impact of the drug war on women The impact of the drug war on women
Date: 1/1/1998Call Number: PM 357Format: CassetteCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
UC Berkeley presentation on how drug laws affect women. Gus Smith talks about the experience of his daughter, Kemba Smith. Kemba was sentenced to 20-years because of her involvement with her boyfriend, Peter Hall, who was a drug dealer. Although see had never sold or even used drugs she was convicted of conspiracy. Also focuses heavily on the subject of mandatory sentences
David Goldberg Interview David Goldberg Interview
Date: 4/26/1998Call Number: PM 377Format: CassetteProducers: Prison Action CommitteeProgram: On the OutsideCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Interview with former prisoner and current prison activist who primarily discusses the problems of re-entering society after prison.
Hugo Pinell in Pelican Bay Hugo Pinell in Pelican Bay
Date: 1/1/1998Call Number: PM 448Format: Cass A & BProducers: Kiilu NyashaCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Interview with Hugo Pinell discussing his case and conditions after 33 years of imprisonment. Includes Luis Talamantez and Willie Sundiata Tate.