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

Interview with Herman Bell Interview with Herman Bell
Date: 8/31/1977Call Number: PM 208Format: Cass A & BCollection: Herman Bell
Interviews with Herman Bell on August 31, 1977 at USP Marion. He speaks mainly about prison conditions, control units, behavior modification, the injustice of the prison system.
Pelican Bay Program (1 of 2) Pelican Bay Program (1 of 2)
Date: 10/1/1991Call Number: PM 220Format: CassetteCollection: Pelican Bay
Corey Weinstein and Catherine Campbell discuss their trip to Pelican Bay Prison in Northern California as part of a legal delegation affiliated with the Real Dragon Prison Project. Included are descriptions of Control Units and the infamous "SHU de-briefing” techniques, as well as the prison system’s use of informants and the effects of the psychological torture used against prisoners. Weinstein and Campbell also dispel some of the myths surrounding the "worst of the worst" label put on many prisoners housed in Pelican Bay and expose the roundup of anti-authoritarian and prisoner with organizing and leadership potential.
Pelican Bay Program (2 of 2) Pelican Bay Program (2 of 2)
Date: 10/1/1991Call Number: PM 221Format: CassetteCollection: Pelican Bay
CONTINUED FROM PM 220: Corey Weinstein and Catherine Campbell continue their discussion of the conditions within the Pelican Bay Prison. Weinstein and Campbell elaborate on the relationships between different prison groups, guard torture and brutality, and the economic condition and opinions of the communities surrounding Pelican Bay Prison.
Interview with Herman Bell Interview with Herman Bell
Date: 8/31/1977Call Number: CD 541Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Interviews with Herman Bell on August 31, 1977 at USP Marion. He speaks mainly about prison conditions, control units, behavior modification, the injustice of the prison system.
Shut Down the Control Units Shut Down the Control Units
Date: 1/1/1988Call Number: V 375Format: VHSProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
US policies at Marion violate the United Nation's Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners that were established for countries like Chile and South Africa. The control units at Marion often are used to silence political prisoners and those demanding prisoners rights.
Interview with Herman Bell Interview with Herman Bell
Date: 8/31/1977Call Number: CD 780Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Interviews with Herman Bell on August 31, 1977 at USP Marion. He speaks mainly about prison conditions, control units, behavior modification, the injustice of the prison system.
Pelican Bay Program (1 of 2) Pelican Bay Program (1 of 2)
Date: 10/1/1991Call Number: CD 781Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Corey Weinstein and Catherine Campbell discuss their trip to Pelican Bay Prison as part of a legal delegation affiliated with the Real Dragon Prison Project. Included are descriptions of Control Units and the infamous "SHU de-briefing” techniques, as well as the prison system’s use of informants and the effects of the psychological torture used against prisoners. Weinstein and Campbell also dispel some of the myths surrounding the "worst of the worst" label put on many prisoners housed in Pelican Bay and expose the roundup of antiauthoritarian and prisoner with organizing and leadership potential.
Pelican Bay Program (2 of 2) Pelican Bay Program (2 of 2)
Date: 10/1/1991Call Number: CD 782Format: CDCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
CONTINUED FROM PM 220: Corey Weinstein and Catherine Campbell continue their discussion of the conditions within the Pelican Bay Prison. Weinstein and Campbell elaborate on the relationships between different prison groups, guard torture and brutality, and the economic condition and opinions of the communities surrounding Pelican Bay Prison.
CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: V 620Format: VHSProducers: CEMLCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
MC Nancy Kurshan, speakers Dr. Alan Berkman, Nozomi Ikuta, and Jose Lopez. Topics discussed include proliferation of the criminal justice system and control units, control units and social control, physical and psychological conditions in control units, and prisons as reflections of America as a colonial power and its historical roots in racism and white power. There is also a taped video statement by Sanyika Shakur and his 60 minutes interview is shown. Transcript available for download.
CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address CEML Program (10-21-1995) Keynote Address
Date: 10/21/1995Call Number: V 642Format: DV CamProducers: CEMLCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Excerpts from Keynote address: MC Nancy Kurshan, speakers Dr. Alan Berkman, Nozomi Ikuta, and Jose Lopez. Topics discussed include proliferation of the criminal justice system and control units, control units and social control, physical and psychological conditions in control units, and prisons as reflections of America as a colonial power and its historical roots in racism and white power. There is also a taped video statement by Sanyika Shakur and his 60 minutes interview is shown. Transcript available for download.