Anthony Papa is an artist, writer, noted advocate against the war on drugs and co-founder of the Mothers of the New York Disappeared. His opinion pieces about the drug war have appeared in the Huffington Post, among others. He is a public speaker and college lecturer on art and on criminal justice issues. Currently, he is a communications specialist for Drug Policy Alliance in NYC. Papa is the author of 15 to Life: How I Painted My Way to Freedom (Feral House, 2004), a memoir about his experience of being sentenced to state prison for a first-time, non-violent drug offence under New York's draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, National Public Radio, "Democracy Now", Court TV, "Extra", and C-Span have interviewed him. Papa has appeared on nationally syndicated talk shows such as "Charles Grodin", "Geraldo Rivera", and "Catherine Crier Live". His art has been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York as well as other venues.
