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 Douglas Dougherty: Appendix G: Maxed Out Letter to Douglas Dougherty: Appendix G: Maxed Out
Publisher: Illinois TimesYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
State Expected to Address Crime Problem With a Super Max State Expected to Address Crime Problem With a Super Max
Publisher: All Chicago City NewsYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article from 1/24/1993 issue. Review of CEML's opinions on Supermax - especially Gov. Jim Edgar's appointed Illinois task for on Crime and Corrections.
Open and Shut Case: Prison Space Needed Open and Shut Case: Prison Space Needed
Publisher: Chicago Sun-TimesYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of editorial piece in 3/29/1993 issue discussing the need for more prison space in IL.
Maybe We should Bar failed Prison Policies Maybe We should Bar failed Prison Policies
Author: Nancy KurshanPublisher: Chicago Sun-TimesYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article from 4/8/1993 issue. Response to Editorial "Open and Shut Case: Prison Space Needed" on 3/29/1993.
Prison: town Takes Good With Bad Prison: town Takes Good With Bad
Author: Laurie GeoringPublisher: Chicago TribuneYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of newspaper clipping. Article on opinions of the Tamms, Ill. Community on the building of a Supermax prison in the area. 10/24/1993
Supermaximum Prison Peril Warned Supermaximum Prison Peril Warned
Author: Eric ChristansonPublisher: Chicago TribuneYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article from 5/19/1993. Piece on CEML's campaign against opening of Supermax prison in Springfield, IL..
Guards Lobby Legislators for 'Super-Max' Prison Guards Lobby Legislators for 'Super-Max' Prison
Author: Cerise Merrit WattPublisher: Decatur Herald and ReviewYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
5/18/1993 article
The Proliferation of Control Unit Prisons in the United States The Proliferation of Control Unit Prisons in the United States
Authors: Fay Dowker, Glenn GoodPublisher: Journal of Prisoners on PrisonsYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Virtual holdings only.
Super Max' prison has its foes Super Max' prison has its foes
Author: Mat KrashnowskiPublisher: The Courier LincolnYear: 1993Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article from 5/10/1993 issue. Discusses controversy of building Supermax facility in Springfield, IL.