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

Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control?
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: PM 419Format: Cass A & BProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
A program sponsored by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), an organization dedicated to closing the control units at Marion Prison. Nancy Kurshan of CEML introduces Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, member of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, and brother of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. He discusses the connections between American colonialism/imperialism and the extensive use of prisons in the US. This tape is a better copy of PM 336 and PM 345 A. Transcript available for download.
Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control? Mass Incarceration and Control Units in Prisons: Mind Control or Social Control?
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: CD 810Format: CDProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
A program sponsored by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), an organization dedicated to closing the control units at Marion Prison. Nancy Kurshan of CEML introduces Jose Lopez, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, member of the Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional, and brother of political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera. He discusses the connections between American colonialism/imperialism and the extensive use of prisons in the US. This tape is a better copy of PM 336/345 Transcript available for download.
Marion Program Panel 1 Marion Program Panel 1
Date: 10/1/1988Call Number: CD 821Format: CDProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Introduction by Nancy Kurshan and preliminary comments by Jose Lopez. Lecture by Bruce Wright, judge, scholar, poet and activist for social justice. Using his own experience as a Black man, he describes the history of US racism and the criminal justice system. Program on the life and work of Assata Shakur, and her influence on the work and life of fellow activists. Also speakers on the Puerto Rican liberation movement.
Petitions Submitted to the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown as of April 30,1990; Events in the Campaign to Change the Water Supply at USP Marlon Petitions Submitted to the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown as of April 30,1990; Events in the Campaign to Change the Water Supply at USP Marlon
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1990Format: AgendaCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Schedule of Crap Orchard campaign events 4/24/1990 - 5/5/1990. Includes list of petitions submitted to CEML. Part of packet - see 3.correspondence.ceml.quinlan.1990
The History of Marion Prison The History of Marion Prison
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
This video, created by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown in 1988, serves to provide historical context around the opening of Marion Prison in 1963.
Model Control Unit Cell in Marion Model Control Unit Cell in Marion
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML) creates a full size model of a typical control unit cell in Marion. This video, created in 1987, provides powerful visual representation of the daily existence of men incarcerated in Marion.
Judge Bruce Wright Speaks Judge Bruce Wright Speaks
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
In a speech given on November 4th 1989, Judge Bruce Wright talks about the legacy of racism in the courts. He specifically focuses on how the US Supreme Court has served as a historical ally of institutional racism in the United States.
Introduction to Marion Prison Introduction to Marion Prison
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
This video, created by the Committee to End the Marion Lockdown in 1988, provides an introduction to Marion Prison, located in Marion, Illinois. Marion was the first control unit prison in the United States and this video outlines what makes Marion a control unit prison, what daily life looks like for men incarcerated in Marion and the complete power of Marion's staff.