The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a social justice organization of people of faith committed to justice and peace through humanitarian service and political action. It aims to support values of non-violence and justice through the expression of love and divinity of all humans.

This collection focuses specifically on the AFSC's efforts to shut down Control unit prisons in the US, quickly leading to the formation of the National Campaign to Stop Control Unit Prisons (NCSCUP), a subgroup of AFSC members and concerned community members inside and outside prison walls dedicated to putting an end to the inhumane conditions within Control Units. NCSCUP was founded at a 1994 AFSC gathering of organizations and individuals concerned with the growing number of Control units within US federal penitentiaries. The organization focused primarily educational and awareness efforts surrounding Control units violation of the UN Minimum Standards for the treatment of Prisoners and asserted the use of control units as cruel and unusual punishment.

The Collection includes materials surrounding the educational and legal efforts of the organizations main east coast headquarters and 3 regional branches. The material reflects an extensive partnership between NCSCUP and prisoners, as well as other anti-prison groups.

The Campaign to Abolish Control Unit Prisons. (1995, March 21). Campaign to abolish control
unit prisons. In University of Massachusetts. Retrieved July 26, 2012, from http://people.umass.edu/kastor/groups/nacun/c.u.pamphlet.html

American Friends Service Committee. (1994, June 19). Mission and values. In American Friends Service Committee. Retrieved July 26, 2012, from http://afsc.org/mission-and-values

American Friends Service Committee. (2011, July). CA prisoners end hunger strike as officials vow positive changes. In American Friends Service Committee. Retrieved July 26, 2012, from http://www.afsc.org/story/ca-prisoners-risk-death-challenge-isolation-policies