The modern movements for prison abolition and against inhumane practices and conditions reached an initial high peak of struggle and mass militancy during the 1970s, with rebellions and protests at many prisons nationwide, the writings and example of George Jackson, and the historic rebellion at Attica State Prison. This collection includes a wide range of publications grown out of this ongoing movement, such as Anvil (United Prisoners Union) and Arm the Spirit (Regional Young Adult Project). 

Arm the Spirit is produced by prison inmates with the assistance of persons outside the institution and mailed to prisoners. In the issue of Arm the Spirit from May of 1979, the editors write that after a 7-month long political and legal struggle, they have won the right to "exist as a revolutionary prisoners' paper." They explain that in June of 1978, when the first issue entered the mailroom at San Quentin prison, all the copies were confiscated by the administration of San Quentin warden Sumner, prompting a struggle by the publishers to be able to mail the paper to prisoners directly.

Additional contents include newsletters of the Western Prison Project, now known as Partnership for Safety and Justice, based in Portland, Oregon, who focus on prison activism and the criminal justice reform movement in the Western United States, and copies of LA Prison Times. The purpose of the LA Prison Times is to provide a common platform to represent the diverse L.A. Organizations doing critical work around criminal justice issues, educate the public around these issues and voice ideas for action and solutions.