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

Brief Biography of Morton Sobell Brief Biography of Morton Sobell
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1987Format: FlyerCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Human Rights Group Rips Marion Prison Human Rights Group Rips Marion Prison
Author: Tom GibbonsPublisher: Chicago Sun-TimesYear: 1987Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction from 5/31/1987 article on Amnesty International's report, "Allegations of Ill-treatment at Marion Prison".
Crime's Causes Crime's Causes
Authors: Carol Mosely, James R. RumbaghPublisher: Chicago tribuneYear: 1987Format: ArticleCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of comments on "The Crime of Black Imprisonment" by Steve Whitman
The Crime of Black Imprisonment The Crime of Black Imprisonment
Author: Steve WhitmanPublisher: Chicago TribuneYear: 1987Format: MonographCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of article. Discusses racist policies and united states prison rates
Close Marion and Lexington Control Unit Prisons Close Marion and Lexington Control Unit Prisons
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1987Format: MonographCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Information on Control Unit Prisons at Marion and Lexington.
Letter to Alan J. Dixon Letter to Alan J. Dixon
Author: Norman A. CarlsonPublisher: US Department of Justice: Federal Bureau of PrisonsYear: 1987Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
3/25/1987 concerning the conditions of the lockdown and Marion and Lexington. Denies allegations of ill treatment and denial of inmates access to education, religious, medical and mental health programs
Letter to Friends Regarding Marion Lockdown conference Letter to Friends Regarding Marion Lockdown conference
Publisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1987Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Letter reporting on the October 1987 conference to expose the crimes of the Marion and Lexington control units
Correspondence to CEML Members Correspondence to CEML Members
Author: Steve WhitmanPublisher: Committee to End the Marion LockdownYear: 1987Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Letter referencing enclosures (absent) and request for financial support.
Correspondence Between Cardiss Collins and Edward Corwin Correspondence Between Cardiss Collins and Edward Corwin
Authors: Cardiss Collins, Edward CorwinPublisher: United States House of RepresentativesYear: 1987Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Reproduction of letters of Protest and response regarding the Lockdown at Marion and Lewisburg and the appointment of Harold Miller as Warden
A Letter from Marion Prisoners A Letter from Marion Prisoners
Author: Bill Dunne et. al.Year: 1987Format: CorrespondenceCollection: Committee to End the Marion Lockdown
Letter of solidarity on the 4th anniversary of the Marion Lockdown.