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

Compassionate Release Compassionate Release
Date: 1/1/1998Call Number: PM 300Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource CenterProgram: On The OutsideCollection: Prisons - Women
The case of Patricia Contreras, a Native American HIV/AIDS patient, seeking compassionate release from prison. Medical neglect in prisons is also discussed.
Patricia Contreras Rally Patricia Contreras Rally
Date: 1/1/2000Call Number: PM 308AFormat: Cass ACollection: Medical Care In Prison
California rally in support of Patricia Contreras requesting she be granted a compassionate release from prison. She is a terminally ill prisoner with AIDS and wants nothing more than to die outside of prison. Demonstrators also challenge the poor medical care given to prisoners.
Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison
Date: 10/21/1996Call Number: PM 309Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource Center PARCProgram: Prison Activist RadioCollection: Prisons - Women
News about the prison industrial complex and prisoners. Judy Greenspan, director of HIV/AIDS in Prison Project, about compassionate release and women with AIDS. Also Catherine Campbell, an attorney with California Prison Focus, discusses the culture of violence at prisons, verbal provocations by the guards, mandates to confine members of rival gangs in same yard. Jean Stewart from the Disabled Prisoners' Justice Fund discusses the Armstrong case and the growing, neglected population of disabled prisoners and its causes. Karen Shain from Legal Services for Prisoners with Children speaks about women in prison and the class action law suits that are filed for work release, prenatal care, mother and infant programs, HIV. Herman Bell of the New York Three and former member of the Black Panther Party, discusses the need for support of political prisoners.
AIDS in Focus AIDS in Focus
Call Number: PM 321AFormat: Cass AProducers: Mike AlcalayProgram: AIDs in FocusCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Mike Alcalay discusses the AIDS epidemic in America. Rebecca Ward then describes how helpful Family Link is to families of AIDS patients. Later, Heidi Zamok reveals the contradictory information Americans receive about the transmission of AIDS. Lastly, Judy Gerber reports on the lack of medical attention and inhumane conditions provided to prisoners in California with AIDS.
Political Prisoner Eddie Hatcher Political Prisoner Eddie Hatcher
Date: 2/26/1996Call Number: PM 331Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource CenterProgram: On The OutsideCollection: Eddie Hatcher
Native American political prisoner Eddie Hatcher about his incarceration and activist activities.
Ezra Davis - You Can't Jail the Spirit: Brainstorm Ezra Davis - You Can't Jail the Spirit: Brainstorm
Call Number: PM 338Format: Cass A & BProducers: KPFAProgram: Political PrisonersCollection: Political Prisoner Periodicals
Prisoner Ezra Davis in the California Medical Facility at Vacaville discusses conditions. Also the first of 13 episodes of Brainstorm from "You Can't Jail the Spirit."
Clinica de la Raza Clinica de la Raza
Date: 7/2/1990Call Number: CV 086Format: CassetteProducers: Chuy VarelaCollection: Chuy Varela Collection
Latino/a youth speaking about AIDS education and community outreach.
AIDS Unity March- World AIDS Day AIDS Unity March- World AIDS Day
Date: 1/12/1990Call Number: JG/ 118Format: Cass A & BProducers: Judy GerberCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
A live recording of Atlanta’s first Women and AIDS Unity March and Rally, held for World AIDS' Day.Includes interviews with members of the medical community, ACT UP Massachusetts and students speaking out against the CDC’s definition of AIDS which excludes women.
ACE Against the Odds ACE Against the Odds
Date: 1/1/1996Call Number: V 370Format: VHSProducers: Debra LevineCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Women in the ACE Program - an inmate-operated counseling and educational program at Bedford Hills, NY designed both to prevent AIDS transmission and to provide counseling, guidance, and support for women inmates who have HIV or AIDS. ACE workshop in which participants conduct a role play that explores the dynamics of interactions among lesbian women involved in the feelings and decisions associated with AIDS transmission. ACE participants also provide services and support for AIDS patients who are in the prison hospital.
AIDS Education and Prisons AIDS Education and Prisons
Date: 6/12/1989Call Number: JG/ 126AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: Just PeaceCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Chip Rowan, member of ACT UP! Atlanta, talks about HIV and sex education among prisoners in Leesburg, GA. He also speaks of the frequent segregation and stigmatization of many incarcerated HIV and PWA prisoners in the US.