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

CEML Ex-Prisoner Panel and Discussion CEML Ex-Prisoner Panel and Discussion
Date: 3/16/1990Call Number: CD 814Format: Cass A & BProducers: Committee to End the Marion LockdownCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Former political prisoners talking about their struggles, cases and the cruel policies and procedures of control unit prisons.
NPR Report on Lexington Control Unit NPR Report on Lexington Control Unit
Date: 10/1/1986Call Number: PM 430Format: CassetteProducers: National Public RadioCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Jacki Lyden reports on the lawsuit challenging the placement of Susan Rosenberg, Alejandrina Torres and Silvia Beraldini in the Lexington control unit, which resulted in Lexington's closure.
NPR Report on Lexington Control Unit NPR Report on Lexington Control Unit
Date: 10/1/1986Call Number: CD 819Format: CassetteProducers: National Public RadioCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Jacki Lyden reports on the lawsuit challenging the placement of Susan Rosenberg, Alejandrina Torres and Sylvia Beraldini in the Lexington control unit, which resulted in Lexington's closure.
NPR Report on Marion Lockdown NPR Report on Marion Lockdown
Date: 10/1/1986Call Number: PM 435AFormat: Cass AProducers: National Public RadioCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Jacki Lydon reports on the 3rd year of the Marion lockdown. Describes conditions, who is imprisoned and why, and allegations of ill treatment and Human Rights violations. Includes interviews with administration and inmates. Transcript is available for download: http://www.freedomarchives.org/Documents/Finder/DOC3_scans/3.inside.marion.008.pdf
Florence Prison and the Fight to Free Oscar Lopez Florence Prison and the Fight to Free Oscar Lopez
Date: 1/20/1995Call Number: CD 802Format: CDProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Compact discs and videos representing digitized copies of analog tapes
Lugo Lopez and Alejandro Molina of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (Chicago) protesting the imprisonment of Oscar Lopez, sentenced to 75+ years on seditious conspiracy charges for his political work in Puerto Rico.
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.
Political Prisoners in the United States: The Hidden Reality Political Prisoners in the United States: The Hidden Reality
Authors: Michael E. Deutsch and Jan SuslerFormat: MonographCollection: 1990 Tribunal
Who are the political prisoners and prisoners of war; the criminalization of political activists: the new repression; conclusion.
Statement from the US Poltical Prisoners to Nelson Mandela, Deputy VP of the African National Congress Statement from the US Poltical Prisoners to Nelson Mandela, Deputy VP of the African National Congress
Author: Dhoruba Bin WahadDate: 6/21/1990Volume Number: 21-JunFormat: StatementCollection: 1990 Tribunal
statement from one recently freed political prisoner to another.
Verdict of the Special International Tribunal on the Violation of Human Rights of Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War in United States Prisons and Jails Verdict of the Special International Tribunal on the Violation of Human Rights of Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War in United States Prisons and Jails
Date: 12/7/1990Volume Number: Dec 7-10Format: MonographCollection: 1990 Tribunal
Outline of Judgment and Verdict: Constitution of the Tribunal; Overview; The Right to Self-Determination (Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, Black People in the United States, Mexican People (Chicano) in the United States; Puerto Rican Prisoners of War; White North American Opponents of United States Government Policies; Criminalization and the Denial of the Rule of Law; Torture and Cruel, inhumane and Degrading Treatment; Verdict.
[File of materials from Yasutake delegation to D.C.] [File of materials from Yasutake delegation to D.C.]
Authors: Vicki Legion, S. Michael YasutakePublisher: Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience; Committee to End the Marion Lockdown; American Civil Liberties UnionYear: 1990Format: CompilationCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
File of collected materials pertaining to the Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience delegation to the Bureau of Prisons. Enclosures: Cover Page: Note to Steve Whitman from Vicki Legion; 4/19/1990 Letter to Dir. J. Michael Quinlan from Rev. S. Michael Yasutake; 5/1/1990 Press Release; 5/4/1990 Statement for Rally re: Federal Penitentiary Marion, Illinois; 5/4/1990 Letter to Dir. J. Michael Quinlan from Rev. S. Michael Yasutake; 5/18/1990 A Report on the Visit to the Bureau of Prisons and the DC Detention Center; 5/17/1990 Letter to Dir. J. Michael Quinlan from Rev. S. Michael Yasutake; Flewellen, Fine, Yasutake at Congressmen Kastenmeier's office (Graphic); Thornell and Flewellen delivering petitions to BOP; Photograph by D'Auteuil Robideau.