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Announcement :: Civil & Human Rights : Crime & Police : Drugs : Elections & Legislation : Prisons
15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs Current rating: 0
22 Apr 2004
Anthony Papa to speak at UIUC on the Drug War
Friday, April 23
6:00pm
192 Lincoln Hall
702 S. Wright St., Urbana
Anthony Papa, the noted activist against the drug war will be visiting the
UIUC campus this Friday, the 23rd at 6:00pm in 192 Lincoln Hall. In his
talk, "15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs", Mr. Papa
will talk about the effects of the drug war on civil liberties, crime, and
the lives of individuals and families involved.

In 1985, Anthony Papa owned a radio repair business in the Bronx. He had a
young daughter and bowled in a league in Yonkers. When one of his
teammates asked if he wanted to make a quick $500 by delivering an
envelope, Papa agreed. That single mistake cost him twelve years in Sing
Sing, a maximum-security prison on the Hudson River.

Although Papa had never been in trouble with the law, he was sentenced
under New York's Rockefeller drug laws that mandate a 15-year-to-life
sentence for possessing more than four ounces of a controlled substance.
Since their enactment in 1973, the Rockefeller drug laws have helped to
quintuple New York's prison population.

Papa earned two undergraduate degrees in prison and a master's degree from
New York Theological Seminary. He became an artist and gained renown when
his work was exhibited in the Whitney Museum. On Dec. 24, 1996, Papa was
one of seven prisoners granted Christmas clemency by New York Gov. George
E. Pataki (R). In the years since then, Papa has been an advocate for drug
law reform.

As a leader in the drug law reform movement, Anthony Papa co-founded the
Mothers of the New York Disappeared. By using knowledge gained from his
prison experience and acclaim as an artist as vehicles of protest Mr.
Papa has been able to bring drug war reform to main stream America by
reaching out to others and getting them involved like Hip Hop's "Russell
Simmons" and the www.hiphopsummitactionnetwork.org.

Mr. Papa has been interviewed by a wide range of print and broadcast
media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public
Radio, Court TV, C-Span, among others. He has appeared on nationally
syndicated talk shows and is a frequent public speaker and college
lecturer on critical criminal justice issues. His forthcoming book, "15 to
life" is a personal odyssey that takes readers inside the harsh world of a
maximum-security prison, where Papa spent twelve years fighting for his
freedom while struggling to survive the violence and degradation of life
behind bars.

Anthony Papa's website is available at http://www.15yearstolife.com
See also:
http://www2.uiuc.edu/ro/normlillini/

This work is in the public domain
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Re: 15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs
Current rating: 1
23 Apr 2004
Looks like Papa should have had some better friends. What sane person would accept an envelope from a "friend" and agree to deliver it for a large sum of money? Papa doesn't sound too bright to me.
Re: 15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs
Current rating: 0
14 May 2004
Listen - educate yourself on this topic before you make a comment like this. I have more smarts than you will ever have. Read about it in my new book and the hollywood film that follows - you dork! stop puffing on that joint then writing a lame comment
Re: 15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs
Current rating: 0
15 May 2004
I will make a point to look for your book Papa. Your intellectual superiority should make for an interesting read. Say no to drugs, and drug peddling.
Re: 15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs
Current rating: 0
16 May 2004
Chuck - I agree -say no to drugs and drug peddling - especially the king pins --like Pfizer, the world's largest drug pusher, has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $430 million fine to settle charges that a subsidiary illegally promoted a drug for unapproved uses.dealers in the world - now thats a real crime - best to you and the thousands of closet puffers at the University - get smart
Re: 15 to Life: Unintended Consequences of the War on Drugs
Current rating: 0
22 Jun 2004
Hey Chuck - My book 15 To Life: How I Painted MY Freedom is available for advance sale on amazon.com - pick up a copy
best, Anthony Papa