Overview

This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency is a riveting, compelling tale about the life of activist, writer and artist Anthony Papa. He tells firsthand of his experience of returning home after serving 12 years of a 15-to-life sentence for a non-violent drug crime sentenced under the mandatory provisions of the Rockefeller Drug Laws of New York State. In 2016 he received a pardon from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and becomes the first person in NYS history to receive both clemency (Gov. George Pataki 1997) and a pardon. When he was released Papa says that the freedom he fought so hard to get, smacked him swiftly in the face, overpowering him. He struggles with his freedom while fighting to free those he left behind. Papa goes through heart-wrenching trials and tribulations as he seeks to end the war on drugs and save those he left behind. Along the way he meets an array of individuals from famous movie stars to politicians and the very rich, enlisting their help in doing away with mass incarceration and draconian sentencing laws that have destroyed America's criminal justice system. The 2nd Edition published October of 2016 is illustrated with beautiful pen & ink drawings by Papa. This book was recently accepted by Department of Corrections Commissioner Anthony Annucci and placed in all 54 general libraries in NYS prisons as it was deemed to be a useful resource and guide for general population inmates as they contemplate the challenges that lie ahead when they are released to the community.

Full Product Details

9781530731640

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Anthony Papa is an artist, writer, noted advocate against the war on drugs. He currently is manager of media and artist relations for the Drug Policy Alliance, the leading advocacy organization against the drug war in the United States. He is a frequent public speaker and college lecturer on his art and criminal justice issues. Papa is the author of 15 to Life: How I Painted My Way to Freedom (2004), a memoir about his experience of being sentenced to state prison for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense under New York's draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws. He has been interviewed by a wide range of national print and broadcast media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, National Public Radio, Democracy Now, Court TV and Extra, among others. Since being granted executive clemency by New York Governor George Pataki in 1997, then a pardon by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2016, Papa has become an articulate and sought-after advocate on drug law reform and criminal justice issues. Papa has a syndicated blog on the Huffington Post and his stinging editorial pieces have appeared in news sources across the country, resulting in a strong following for his commentary. He is also a gifted painter and installation artist whose work has been exhibited at top venues like the Whitney Museum of American Art and leading contemporary galleries.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available