"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.

One man's struggle with the War on Drugs.

How to Find Help for Any Situation Although we live in the age of information and everyone is bombarded with potential sources of help, sifting through those possibilities can be a chore. This is where Help Yourself comes in! With this useful reference, author Jan Yager provides an overview of the various situations that most people have to navigate, from calling customer service or reporting a crime to finding credible and reliable information about a business, health, or legal concern. Each chapter includes a brief discussion of an issue, potential scenarios, and listings of relevant national and international organizations. Yager also instructs readers on researching state agencies, so they can contact appropriate organizations closer to home. Important topics of discussion include: Health insurance Personal finances Housing assistance Employment services Family planning K–12 education College selection and funding Small business development Legal services Crime victim resources Substance abuse Emergency preparedness And more

This collection brings together interviews with a compelling range of musicians, artists, and activists from around the globe. What does it mean for an artist to be “political”? Moving away from a narrow idea about politics that is organized around elections, advocacy groups, or concrete manifestos, the subjects of Creative Activism do their work through song, poetry, painting, and other arts. The interviews take us from Oakland to London to Johannesburg and from the Occupy movement to the coal mines of Appalachia to the fantasy worlds created by some of our most fascinating writers of spectacular fiction. Listening to the important “cultural workers” of our time challenges any idea that some other time was the golden age of political art: Creative Activism gives us a front-row seat to the thrilling artistic activism of our own moment.

The violence that surrounds drug dealing and drug trafficking has decimated whole communities, and, in some cases, reshaped daily life in entire countries. This volume takes a closer look at the people affected by the drug trade and the efforts being made to combat it. The book includes firsthand stories, critical thinking questions, and a summative activity, all with the aim of showing the human toll of the drug economy.

Get Clemency Now is based on over ten years experience from someone who was serving a sentence of life without parole who prepared his own clemency petition that was granted by President Obama and who has helped over half a dozen people receive clemency since being released from prison. This book not only teaches people in prison how to put together a robust clemency petition but also provides steps they can take to advocate for their freedom. Get Clemency Now also gives detailed steps on how families of the incarcerated can help in the preparation of the petition and advocate for their loved one's clemency. Included inside this Guidebook are actual clemency petitions that were granted and other documents to help with advocating from inside of or outside of prison. This book offers everything a person needs to know on how to get out of prison through clemency

Foreword by Kim Kardashian West The true-life story of the woman whose life sentence for non-violent drug trafficking was commuted by President Donald Trump thanks to the efforts of Kim Kardashian West—an inspiring memoir of faith, hope, mercy, and gratitude. How do you hold on to hope after more than twenty years of imprisonment? For Alice Marie Johnson the answer lies with God. For years, Alice lived a normal life without a criminal record—she was a manager at FedEx, a wife, and a mother. But after an emotionally and financially tumultuous period in her life left her with few options, she turned to crime as a way to pay off her mounting debts. Convicted in 1996 for her nonviolent involvement in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization, Alice received a life sentence under the mandatory sentencing laws of the time. Locked behind bars, Alice looked to God. Eventually becoming an ordained minister, she relied on her faith to sustain hope over more than two decades—until 2018, when the president commuted her sentence at the behest of Kim Kardashian West, who had taken up Alice’s cause. In this honest, faith-driven memoir, Alice explains how she held on to hope and gave it to others, from becoming a playwright to mentoring her fellow prisoners. She reveals how Christianity and her unshakeable belief in God helped her persevere and inspired her to share her faith in a video that would go viral—and come to the attention of celebrities who were moved to action. Today, Alice is an icon for the prison reform movement and a humble servant who embraces gratitude and God for her freedom. In this powerful book, she recalls all of the firsts she has experienced through her activism and provides an authentic portrait of the crisis that is mass incarceration. Linking social justice to spiritual faith, she makes a persuasive and poignant argument for justice that transcends tribal politics. Her story is a beacon in the darkness of despair, reminding us of the power of redemption and the importance of making second chances count. After Life features 16 pages of color photographs.