Anthony Papa
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Anthony Papa (b.June 6, 1960 NYC), artist and author of 15 to Life, is an advocate against the war on drugs and co-founder of the Mothers of the New York Disappeared.
15 to Life, published in 2004, is an autobiographical account of Papa's experience with the New York criminal justice system and anti-narcotics laws under which he was sentenced to fifteen years to life imprisonment for a first time drug offense. New York's strict drug laws, enacted during the term of former governor Nelson Rockefeller, and now known as the Rockefeller drug laws are among the toughest in the United States. The possession of four ounces or more of such drugs as heroin and cocaine — or the sale of two ounces or more of the same substances — carries the same penalties as those imposed for second-degree murder. (the laws were revised in 2004/2005 http://www.drugpolicy.org/statebystate/newyork/rockreform/ ) The book "15 to Life" is currently in the works of being transformed into a major film as reported by Variety http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001620.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
As reported by Juan Gonzalez of the New York Daily News, Papa had enjoyed a middle-class life as an owner of an auto-repair and radio business prior to his arrest. According to this account, he was a family man and had never been in trouble with the law. But when a member of Papa's bowling team offered Papa "some easy money" for delivering an envelope of cocaine to the town of Mount Vernon, New York, "Papa foolishly agreed". As it happened, the courier who gave him the envelope was an undercover police informant and when Papa delivered the 4.5 ounces of coke he was promptly arrested.
Following his conviction for sales and possession, Papa was sentenced to one 15-to-life sentence. Papa served 12 years in Sing Sing before Governor George Pataki granted him clemency in 1996 During his imprisonment, Papa earned two bachelor's degrees and a master's from the New York Theological Seminary. In prison he discovered his artistic talent, and used his art to literately paint his way to freedom some when his famous self portrait "15 to Life" was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art http://www.15yearstolife.com/art1.htm which leading to a flood of media attention. http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/758772/how-mike-kelley-helped-me-paint-my-way-out-of-a-prison-cell
After his release Papa tried his hand at acting on HBO's "Oz" and has appeared in several films http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3128195/ Papa went on a rescue mission to save others he left behind that were sentenced under the draconian drug laws and founded The Mothers of the New York Disappeared in 1997 (along with Randy Credico), and this group became the leading activist entity against the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Papa continuing his advocacy to reform the drug laws of the United States currently works for Drug Policy Alliance as the manager of Media Relations. He continues to use the arts as an effective tool to fight for those less fortunate http://www.alternet.org/story/95929/unlocking_the_power_of_art_to_counter_injustice/ (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-papa/country-in-distress-the-_b_59865.html. His stinging op-ed's can be found in regional papers across the United States (http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/staffwritten/papa.cfm) and his advocacy for drug law reform has been covered by national magazines such Time magazine. ]http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1653862,00.html On March 7, 2009 after years of advocating for meaningful reform of the Rockefeller Drug laws Gov. Paterson signed into law sweeping revisions leaving Papa vindicated. http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=5bb1982be79fb8d44ab6e06b9f559f5b
Currently Papa appears with Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter in "Quebrando o Tabu" (2011) a film being released in Brazil about the global war on drugs directed by Fernando Grostein Andrade and produced by Luciano Huck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz0EWwC-hug&feature=autoshare
[edit] External links
- http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/08/1513258
- http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98/n523/a13.html?1778.
- http://www.counterpunch.org/herschel12042004.html
- http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/356/tony.shtml
- http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/18925/
- http://www.15yearstolife.com/articles.htm
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20041227/tuhusdubrow
- http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=anthony+papa+15+to+life&btnG=Search
- http://feralhouse.com/press/15tolife/
- http://gros-boulet.com/
- http://marthel-collection-65454.com/
