Stories by Anthony Papa

Anthony Papa, author of 15 To Life: How I Painted My Way To Freedom, is a communications specialist for the Drug Policy Alliance.subscribe to Anthony Papa's rss feed

Clueless Judge Gives Cameron Douglas Extra Time for Relapsing in Prison -- Why Not Send Him to Rehab Instead?

Posted on Dec 29, 2011, Source: AlterNet

It's well established that incarcerating people who use drugs does far more harm than good.

The Holiday Season is a Time for Clemency

Posted on Dec 19, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A former drug war prisoner explains how clemency set him free, and why he has made it his mission to help other prisoners find freedom.

How Many Drug War Prisoners Were Convicted on Faulty Evidence?

Posted on Nov 18, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Testing errors at one crime lab led to 3,000 drug convictions in need of review and point to chronic failures in the criminal justice system.

Hemp Warrior: Marijuana Activist Dana Beal Had a Heart Attack, Died, Came Back, and Beat His Pot Rap

Posted on Oct 31, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Beal, a founder of the Yippees and organizer of the Global Marijuana March, was busted for weed and had a heart attack on his way to prison. Then, a judge voided his sentence.

Naive? Judge Shocked that Drugs Are Available in Prison Gives Cameron Douglas a New Charge

Posted on Oct 20, 2011, Source: AlterNet

After slapping additional time on Douglas' sentence, a clueless judge said he did not know drugs were available in prison. The author's own experience behind bars reveals reality.

Should the Infamous Cameron Douglas Really be Behind Bars?

Posted on Oct 7, 2011, Source: AlterNet

This week, Michael Douglas's incarcerated son Cameron testified at his alleged drug supplier's criminal trial. But does he even deserve to be behind bars?

No Redemption for Ex-Offender by Tulane's Law School Students

Posted on Sep 16, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Bruce Reilly's struggles demonstrate how hard it is to re-enter society as a productive citizen

40 Years After the Attica Prison Uprising: Celebrating the Heroic Courage of Prisoners Who Risked Their Lives for Justice

Posted on Sep 8, 2011, Source: AlterNet

As we remember the unjust conditions that spurred the Attica uprising, we must focus on the alarming rate of incarceration in the US, highest in the world.

How 3 Joints and an Ounce of Coke Got an Oklahoma Grandfather Life Without Parole

Posted on Aug 15, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Yarbrough's story is exhibit A for the case to rethink life-without-parole laws across the country.

Breaking the Taboo: A Global Drug War Film

Posted on Jun 17, 2011, Source: AlterNet

New documentary is a stark and honest portrayal of the global war on drugs and its failure to resolve the many issues that derive from prohibition.

Central Police Detective of Columbia University Drug Bust Arrested: Egg on the Face of Ray Kelly and Bridgett Brennan

Posted on Jun 10, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Let's see what happens to the students who were arrested and whose lives were ruined because of the overzealous police policies.

New York Police Are Trying to Sweep a Drug Tester's Dark History of Falsifying Results Under the Rug

Posted on May 26, 2011, Source: AlterNet

24 -year veteran forensic technician Mariem Megalla's shady approach has thrown thousands of court cases into question.

NY Gov. Cuomo Scores Victory to Close Down Troubled Juvenile Detention Facilities

Posted on Apr 6, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Cuomo's plan to revamp New York State's Juvenile System by reducing the capacity of juvenile centers by 30 percent has become a reality.

Barry Bonds' Prosecutors: This Is Your Testicles on Drugs

Posted on Mar 25, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Barry Bonds' trial took another twist when the prosecution said they would make the size of his testicles the crux of their case to prove that Bonds lied to a grand jury.

New Directions: Religious and Community Leaders Address the Failed Drug War

Posted on Mar 17, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Conference gathers this March to chart a new course in drug policy that could serve as a model for the nation.

The Passing of a Drug Reform Hero: Retired Judge Jerome Marks

Posted on Mar 11, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Marks devoted his life to change NY's draconian Rockefeller drug laws and helped secure clemency for prisoners rotting away in prison for their roles in minor drug crimes.

Thousands of Rockefeller Drug Law Convictions in New York Could Be Challenged Due to Tainted Evidence

Posted on Feb 17, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Officials recently shut down part of the Nassau County Crime Lab because it was discovered that a half-dozen drug cases had been subjected to incorrect analyses.

Saving Lives: Contest to Create Jobs for the Formerly Incarcerated

Posted on Feb 4, 2011, Source: AlterNet

An innovative project to address the question of how ex-offenders can make a life once they return to the real world.

Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday: Is the Drug War the Next Big Civil Rights Issue?

Posted on Jan 8, 2011, Source: AlterNet

How do we begin to address the connections between astronomical rates of incarceration, disintegration of black families, and the war on drugs?

Scott Sisters Freed! Gov. Barbour Demands a Kidney for their Freedom

Posted on Dec 30, 2010, Source: AlterNet

In a surprising act of compassion, the Mississippi governor has commuted the sentences of two sisters jailed for 16 years for an $11 armed robbery.

Bernie Madoff Feeling the Heat of Imprisonment from His Son's Suicide

Posted on Dec 14, 2010, Source: AlterNet

This is the fourth suicide linked to Bernie's actions.

'Operation Ivy League' Police Drug Sting: We're Talking About Columbia U. Students, Not Colombia Kingpins

Posted on Dec 9, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The Columbia bust is all hype and PR and will do nothing to stop drug use on our campuses or in NYC.

A Thanksgiving Miracle for Children of Incarcerated Parents

Posted on Nov 22, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Terrance Stevens' dream was to help the many children of NY State prisoners that live in his Harlem community and had been left with a great void in their lives.

New York Governor-Elect Cuomo Right on Point: Shut Down Half-Empty Prisons

Posted on Nov 16, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Andrew Cuomo is searching for ways to cut the budget and reduce economic waste, and half-empty prisons are an obvious target.

How Paris Hilton's Probation Could Lead to Saving People's Lives

Posted on Sep 21, 2010, Source: AlterNet

By speaking out for treatment instead of imprisonment, Hilton could help the cause of millions of other Americans are arrested for minor drug law violations.

Is Roger Clemens a Victim of the Drug War?

Posted on Aug 26, 2010, Source: AlterNet

What does the war on drugs have to do with the sport of baseball? Just ask Roger "The Rocket" Clemens.

Corrupt Prison-Based Gerrymandering Ends in New York State

Posted on Aug 18, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The axing of prison-gerrymandering will result in the reduction of the reliance on the prison industrial complex in upstate New York.

The Passing of My Spiritual Father, Social Activist Rev. Bill Webber

Posted on Jul 14, 2010, Source: AlterNet

A spiritual father to many men behind and beyond the walls of prison will be surely missed.

Re:FORM: Artists Against the Drug War

Posted on May 4, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Using art as a vehicle for social change.

The $250,000 Joint

Posted on Mar 29, 2010, Source: AlterNet

A single joint smoked by Amir Varick Amma cost him an additional 5 years in prison, and taxpayers roughly $250,000.

Michael Douglas's Son Faces More Time Than a Murderer or a Rapist for a Nonviolent Drug Charge

Posted on Jan 31, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The government is hell-bent on punishing Cameron Douglas for the crime of being an addict.

Fear Mongers Attack a NYC Harm Reduction Pamphlet that Saves Lives

Posted on Jan 5, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Arguments by top level city and federal law enforcement agents against harm redution pamphlet have little scientific merit.

Drug Policy Alliance Conference Comes at a Crucial Moment for Drug Reform

Posted on Nov 12, 2009, Source: AlterNet

More people than ever grasp the need to shift from criminalization to a public health model -- the Drug Policy Alliance's conference leads the way on this discussion.

Brace Yourself Bernie Madoff, You Are Facing a Living Hell

Posted on Mar 16, 2009, Source: Huffington Post

When you look in the mirror you will think of your crime and how you wound up in prison. You will re-live your crime over and over.

Rockefeller Drug Laws Are a Crime

Posted on Mar 5, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Drug addiction shouldn't be a crime -- the real crime would be if reform of New York's draconian drug laws were stymied yet again.

Fighting for the Rights of Voters Behind Bars

Posted on Sep 23, 2008, Source: Drug Policy Alliance

Exercising the right to vote is important part of prisoner rehabilitation, but over 5 million convicted felons are barred from doing so.

Unlocking the Power of Art to Counter Injustice

Posted on Aug 21, 2008, Source: AlterNet

The Drug Policy Alliance's re:FORM art auction benefit marries art with tackling the ridiculous "war on drugs."

Police State Madness: Mayor's Dogs Gunned Down by Cops in Hyper-Agressive Drug Raid

Posted on Aug 8, 2008, Source: Huffington Post

Our federal government's zero-tolerance anti-drug crusade reached a new low in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Reborn MLB Slugger Josh Hamilton Is One Lucky Former Drug Addict

Posted on Jul 17, 2008, Source: AlterNet

Hamilton was lucky enough to be able to afford treatment and get access right away. Most people cannot afford it.

Will Drug Lord Do Less Time Than the Average American Nonviolent Drug Offender?

Posted on Sep 27, 2007, Source: AlterNet

Why Colombia's top drug lord may get off easier than small-time offenders in the U.S.

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