UK-Protesters denounce jail sentences for graffiti writers

Tragically, a young man hanged himself in jail after being sentenced to a cruel and unusual 30 months for writing on trains.

Saturday 14th February 2009

A PROTEST calling for an end to custodial sentencing for non-violent graffiti offenders took place outside the Royal Courts of Justice today.

Around 50 people turned out in central London to demonstrate against sending graffiti offenders to prison.

Last Saturday 23-year-old graffiti artist Tom Collister from Penge hanged himself in jail.

He had belonged to a gang which carried out a two-year campaign of vandalism on trains and stations around south London.

Collister was serving a 30-month sentence after admitting conspiracy to cause criminal damage.

Homeboy Industries and solar power - WSJ

We need a lot more people organizing like Homeboy Industries has, to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the new green businesses.

A cautionary tale about Facebook, porn, extortion and punishment

Teenage guy poses as a girl online, collects nude photos of dozens of male, underage classmates. He blackmails some of them into having sex with him. Police bust him for a bomb threat and find his photos, etc. Sounds simple at first: he's up against nearly 300 years in jail, case closed, right? Wrong.

It will be awhile before we know how many of these victimized teens end up being prosecuted too. Clearly there's one bad guy and lots of victims, but the law is not completely on the victims' side, unfortunately.

The number of teens being prosecuted as sex offenders for trading nude photos of themselves with other kids is skyrocketing. In a better world, the law would discriminate between a little skin among friends and child porn, but it doesn't yet. Some teens have even been prosecuted for statutory rape for simply having consensual sex with their teen friends. Peeing in public is even a sex offense now. We're deep in Crazy Land here.

Sex offender penalties are awful and they are apparently forever, so if you have any photos of the naughty bits belonging to you or your friends, do yourself a big favor and delete them before they ruin your life. And ... of course ... never send racy photos of yourself to anybody. Never. Your friends today could be your enemies tomorrow, and photos on the Internet never die. Ever.

Plus you won't have encrypted them, so the NSA and all the sysadmins at your ISP and at school and at work will all have a chance to scoop your photos up in transit. Gmail and other webmail systems will save them (possibly forever). And as always, lots of the apparently teenage girls you may meet online are actually boys, sex offenders or FBI agents, so it really pays to be paranoid.

UPDATE: More insanity from Australia-Girl gets 3 months in jail for first offense

UPDATE: Her sentence was reduced on appeal so she won't go to jail. Finally some common sense is applied

---

Previously:
She wrote her name on a cafe wall with a marker. The cafe wants $200 AUD for restitution. And yet somehow this resulted in a 3-month jail sentence for Cheyene Back, a first offender. This cruel and unusual punishment, way out of proportion to the crime, is counterproductive in terms of social outcomes -- and not what one would expect from a civilized country. Did she even have a lawyer?

Brazilian girl still in jail after other writers let free - UPDATE

YAY, she has been freed. English translation by Google

Original post, Dec 15 2008:

Apparently Caroline Pivetta da Mota is very poor and can't prove she has an address, which is why she's the one still in jail. She was arrested for graffiti along with a large group of other writers, but she is the only one left in jail more than 40 days later. In a country where people are said to get away with murder routinely, this seems a bit cruel and unusual. In fact they could keep her for years if she's eventually convicted of the trumped up charges. She sure needs an advocate in SP.

"The 28th Bienal de Sao Paulo came to a close in the first week of December, but the graffiti painter arrested on October 26 for spraying its pavilion's walls remains in jail. Caroline Pivetta da Mota spent her 24th birthday last Saturday behind Santana Penitentiary's bars, where she shares a cell with another young woman, convicted of armed robbery. She will probably still be there for Christmas and maybe even when the next arts biennial takes place in 2010, as the punishment set by the Environmental Crimes Law for the "destruction of cultural heritage" is of one to three years imprisonment."

Anarchists raise $1000 for MFone defense in PA

The state claims [MFone] caused over $600,000 in damage in a years-long stretch of writing. We know this ridiculous claim was made to demonize Danny and further the career of certain politicians like city councilman Bill Peduto (the fake hipster). We intend to work hard to make sure that Danny gets an appeal and is out of prison as soon as possible. We also want to stand in solidarity with all graffiti writers and other marginalized people in our city and all over the world. We want a world where the sanctity of property is not more important than the life of a young artist.

-Greater Pittsburgh Anarchist Collective
Member of the Anti-Racist Action Network
GPAC412 AT gmail.com

For more information on the case of Daniel Montano visit FREEMFONE.org

"In our city, a neo-nazi who killed an unarmed woman served less time than a young man is presently facing for a graffiti conviction."

MFone is currently serving a 2.5 to 5 year sentence after the media made him out to be public enemy number one in Pennsylvania.

Afghan Journalist Receives 20-Year Prison Term for Blasphemy

... which is only good because before they were going to kill him for it.

"Journalist [Perwez Kambakhsh] distributed an [Iranian] Internet article criticizing the Prophet Mohammed's views on women."

If you can't criticize your religion or ask questions about it, you're already in prison.

Voting for religious fanatics is also a terrible idea. Just say no to mixing Church and State. No telling what they might make illegal next.

Let's hope he gets a real appeal or a BBC airlift.

GRL's Powderly and other 5 American detainees released in Beijing

China apparently relented before the 10 days' sentence was up. They'll be in L.A. today.

Political protests get Americans arrested in China

BoingBoing broke the bad news this morning:

Beijing: Five US activists detained after lighting up "Free Tibet" LED Throwies banner near Olympics site and
[Graffiti Research Lab's] James Powderly detained in Beijing for planning pro-Tibet "L.A.S.E.R. Stencil" art protest

Internationally known artist, technologist and co-founder of the Graffiti Research Lab, James Powderly, was detained in Beijing early this morning while preparing to debut a new work and technology of protest, the L.A.S.E.R. Stencil. According to a ?twitter? message received today by Students for a Free Tibet at approximately 5 pm Beijing Standard Time, Powderly had been detained by Chinese authorities at 3 am. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

[...]

Students for a Free Tibet has staged six protests in Beijing over the last two weeks, placing the issue of Tibet?s occupation front and centre as China hosts the Olympic Games. The protests have included a dramatic banner hang near the Bird?s Nest Stadium; a display of Tibetan flags near the Bird?s Nest just before the opening ceremony began; a symbolic die-in at Tiananmen Square; a protest by a Tibetan woman with flags outside Tiananmen Square; a blockade of the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park; and ?Free Tibet? banner hang outside the CCTV headquarters. Thirty-seven members and supporters have been detained and deported, not including those detained today.

James and the other protesters who have been arrested deserve our support and respect. Let's hope they all get to come home soon as some other protesters have.

Mfone sentenced to 2.5 years in prison

Pittsburgh's so-called graffiti king was sentenced today to 2.5 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution and perform community service after pleading guilty to causing nearly $300,000 in property damage.

Daniel J. Montano, 22, of Highland Park pleaded guilty May 16 to 79 counts of criminal mischief for an 18-month graffiti vandalism spree that plagued Lawrenceville, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Shadyside and Oakland.

Montano also was sentenced to five years' probation, and ordered to perform 2,500 hours of community service in the city and pay $232,584 in restitution. Montano is best known by the tags "MFONE" and "MF."

City police have described Montano as the country's most prolific graffiti artist. They said he has caused nearly $750,000 in property damage from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, where his mother lives.

The claim that he's the city's or the country's most prolific graffiti writer is probably sensationalism designed to create a tougher sentence for him in court, but no doubt Mfone is up, and now he's up the river as well. This is a cruel and unusual sentence for a nonviolent property offender, so let's hope that he gets out on parole quickly or has an effective appeal down the road.

This is the latest in a series of big time jail sentences for writers in the US since GK set the pace. It would be a mistake to think at this point that a first offender would get off with a warning, so be careful out there, and pay for the lawyer if you get popped. The UK and Czech Republic also have a track record of putting writers away for years at a time. The Czech penalty is 5 years.

New Orleans' Insane Anti-Graffiti Law

Interesting article in general, with lots of pictures ... Near the end it reveals this:

"In the recently ended session of the Legislature, state Rep. Anthony Ligi of Metairie successfully sponsored a bill that skyrockets the penalties for graffiti. Currently the maximum fine in New Orleans is $500, plus community service, restitution and a possible six months in jail. Beginning Aug. 15, the maximum fine increases to $10,000 with a prison term of up to 10 years. Ligi, a lawyer and real estate title insurance agent, said he believes that Louisiana judges will be able to apply looser local penalties or the more stringent state penalties as they see fit.

"If it's a kid who's written his girlfriend's name on a wall, a judge will see it one way," Ligi said. "If it's somebody who's marked up an office wall and done thousands (of dollars) in damage, it gives the judge more options."

So not only do they have a stupid law, but they plan to enforce it selectively depending on who does it and what's written? That sounds like poor, minority kids going to jail, as usual in the South. I hope some heroic lawyer and judge step up to strike this for the cruel and unusual - and potentially racist - punishment that it is. New Orleans needs community service and community art, not more young people in jail for nonviolent property crimes.

When will the government in Louisiana get a clue and join the civilized world? This is the same state that recently decided to teach wishful thinking instead of science.

Ray of sunshine from the Supremes

In a stunning show of interest in the Constitution, today the US Supreme Court decided the alleged terrorist detainees in Cuba can appeal their status. This is great because due process will tend to discover who is who and what is what if it's allowed to proceed.

We can hope the end of Gitmo is near, thus closing a shameful period in US history, where the imperial president made up laws and ignored others at whim. If those people are really "unlawful combatants" then no one should fear giving them their day in court. Imprisonment without fair trial or legal representation is so Middle Ages, so Middle East.

But what about those rumored prison ships and "extreme renditions" abroad? One can hope the Court will also put a stop to those. In a just world, there would be prosecution for the idiots who decided that was a good idea too.

Philly cops charged in attack on graffiti artist

Cops break this guy's jaw, knock out some teeth, then try to cover it up. PD vows to stop the violence.

Most larger police depts in the USA seem to have a few bone breakers and shoot-first guys working for them, and those guys get most of the excessive force complaints, statistically. It would be great if these thugs could all be forced to find other jobs before they kill people. It would be REALLY GREAT if the police departments would fire them before they become front page news. When the courts have to step in to clean up the PD, the thugs should all go to jail.

If the goal is to have citizens obey the law, it's essential for the police and elected officials to toe that line and to be punished when they don't. Terrorizing citizens is not something civilized society should allow its police to do. Document, publish, and complain when you see it go down, because you could be saving lives.

Thanks to David Vernitsky for fighting this good fight in Philly. We sure hope he's recovering well from his awful injuries.

Kudos to the Philly PD for getting rid of the violent offenders on the force.

We hope the wedding-party-killing NYPD thugs don't go unpunished either. The courts really let the people down on that one, but the department is taking some internal action allegedly.

--from the article:

-AP

"Philly cops charged in attack on graffiti artist

By BOB LENTZ ? 9 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? Two Philadelphia police officers accused of beating a man they saw painting graffiti were charged Tuesday with assault and falsifying records.

[...]

Authorities say Officers Sheldon Fitzgerald and Howard Hill III broke the graffiti painter's jaw on one side and dislocated it on the other before throwing him head first into the back of a patrol car. The man was never charged with a crime.

'This is an unfortunate incident, but it is in no way a reflection on the entire department,' Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said at a news conference Tuesday. 'I do think that it is another statement that excessive force just will not be tolerated in our department.'

District Attorney Lynne Abraham said her office completed its investigation into the attack on David Vernitsky earlier this month after receiving a complaint of excessive force in November.

Vernitsky had attended a wedding and was spray-painting congratulations to the couple on the wall of a beauty supply house in the city's Feltonville section when police saw him, officials said.

Vernitsky fled, but the officers caught up and beat him, kicking him in the groin, bruising his face and ribs, and knocking out three teeth, Abraham said at the news conference.

The officers released Vernitsky after they checked for outstanding warrants and found none, officials said. The 36-year-old Philadelphia man was taken by friends to a hospital, where he stayed a few days, Abraham said.

The officers didn't document their contact with Vernitsky. Instead, officials said, the pair made a false entry in their log showing they were elsewhere at the time of the beating.

Fitzgerald and Hill were suspended without pay pending trial, Ramsey said. The pair was notified of the charges Tuesday and have 72 hours to turn themselves in.

[...]

The officers, who have been on the force five years each, face charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with public records and conspiracy.

Earlier this month, a television news helicopter videotaped 18 city police officers and a transit officer kicking and beating three shooting suspects as they were dragged from their car. Ramsey said last week that four officers would be fired and four others disciplined for their roles in the beatings."

-AP

Free Daze (UK) - UPDATE

UPDATE: Daze was freed from prison this week after his case went to appeal court. The protests helped to raise the profile of his case and generated lots of support mail from around the world.

---

Graffiti writer Daze (Gary Shields) from the UK was jailed in March for 28 months at Ayr Sheriff Court. This was for eight offences.

A protest and appeal are aimed at getting this ridiculously long sentence reduced. See the link for details and current petitions.

[Note that this is not the same Daze whose painting appears on Art Crimes' front page this month.]

Daze from Scotland, sentenced to 28 months: protest campaign

http://www.freedaze.co.uk

Shoot-self-in-foot public policy strikes again. The stupidest thing is that those who are arguing that the sentence fits the crime are up in arms about the damage amount claims. If they weren't idiots, they'd be arguing for restitution, not tax-paid incarceration, which likely will end up costing them more than the damage amount.

Scotland should let him go to school as planned. Education is more reformative than prison and it leads to more tax paying citizens.

Now if we could just get the US to wake up, where more than 2 million people are in prison, many for nonviolent offenses...

Prague graffiti project, penalties

"If caught, artists who spray graffiti in illegal areas face up to eight years in prison, Blažek says, but a majority receives lesser sentences to perform cleanups and other types of community service.

To help curb illegal street art, in 2001 the city designated several legal graffiti zones near Prague 5’s Barrandov bridge, Prague 1’s Těšnov tram stop and the Orionka zone in Prague 4–Modřany."

Green jobs for all - Van Jones and GreenForAll.org

Van Jones explains on video the important relationship between minority kids in places like Oakland and the coming "green-collar" job needs.

Iranian Students Jailed for Protesting War

I received this disturbing note today from a writer in Tehran (and the story linked above says some teens have been killed) :

As you should be aware!!!! 

Thirty of our comrades are currently being held in ward 209 of Avin prison in Tehran, subjected to torture and the worst physical and mental conditions. The magnificent Students Day rallies in Tehran, Mazendaran, Kermanshah, Tabriz and Hamadan were manifestation of our determination to raise the banner of freedom and equality in our society. The oppressive Islamic regime tried, in vain, to prevent the student day rallies. It has suffered a humiliating defeat. We congratulate all our fellow students.

Comrades! Our call for the release of all detained students, in universities up and down the country, must break the current deadly silence. This calls for united actions of all of us for the immediate release of our detained comrades. Spread the news of the arrest of the students and let the entire population know that their students are being imprisoned for calling for freedom and equality. The shameful silence of all the so-called "impartial" and "pro-democracy" media outlets has made our task of informing the public ever so crucial. This shameful silence is tantamount to collaboration with oppressors. Such attempts to spread lies and deception have long being at the service of profiteers and capitalists.

Comrades! The families of the arrested students have pinned their hopes on us. We have shown that we never give up on our demands. Knowing the brutality of the authorities in the jails we fear for the well being of our comrades. Our struggle will continue until the release of all political students.

People of the world!

Students in Iran, by raising the slogan of "No to War" and "No to Despotism", are confronting Imperialists war mongering and fundamentalism. International solidarity is a valuable means to break down the ranks of reaction and war mongering and blow away the spectre of war and insecurity over the lives of people of Iran.

Ket speaks to Urb about his trial and tribulations

In part one "The Taking of Alan Ket," an interview by Michael Vazquez of URB magazine, graffiti veteran Ket discusses the nature of his prosecution; his regrets about storing and jeopardizing archives; the silence regarding his case from international museums and art organizations. In part two, he discusses the responses he'd received online about his case; his work with companies who have not taken an interest in graffiti prosecution despite their use of the aesthetic vernacular which is honed in the streets; his own hard lessons learned; the logical extension of what his prosecution means to others the world over. In part three he discusses his life-long immersion in graffiti culture, and the artists who meant the most to him when he was young.

You can comment on this at URB at the link above.

Ecko gained everything from Ket and the other graffiti artists that have made that company what it is today. Ket made their graffiti game happen. Ket was arrested because of fighting city hall for Ecko's NYC event. Where was Ecko when Ket needed help? Where is Ecko now that the NYC PD won't give the graffiti archives back to Ket? Time to stop supporting corporations that just want our money. Marc Ecko needs to put his money where his mouth is.

(updated) 6 years in prison for gang graffiti? California town loses its mind.

"A Santa Paula man spray-painted gang graffiti on a large wooden sign at the entrance to Marina Park in Ventura nearly two years ago, a jury was told Thursday in a case that could send the defendant to prison for up to six years.

"Sergio Martin ... 22, faces prison if found guilty of two felony charges - committing vandalism that caused more than $400 worth of damage, and possessing tools to commit graffiti, according to his lawyer, Rod Kodman. The damage to the sign totaled $523."

I hope that cooler heads prevail in court, because this is a clear threat of cruel and unusual punishment and it sure smells like racism. Punishing the demographic instead of the behavior is unAmerican. As a society, we can't afford it because it's blatantly unjust.

I'm no fan of gang graffiti, but punishing any type of painting activity with 6 years in prison on felonies is ridiculous. This guy didn't even do $1000 worth of damage (if he's even guilty) and he's only 22 years old. A more practical thing for a sane society to do would be to put him to work in community service of some kind. Imprisoning young people only creates career criminals and a permanent underclass.

Plus possession of tools to create graffiti has been interpreted in California as applying even to things like rocks and pencils. It's just a bogus add-on of convenience. Graffiti tools are not like burglary tools, they are art supplies. California needs a smarter government, and soon.

UPDATE: Sept 1: Jury would not convict Martin, so it's declared a mistrial. This is the second time he's been tried on this and had a mistrial. I feel better now.

The jury did its job after all and refused to give an excessive sentence to someone charged on iffy evidence. Luckily for Martin his jury was not made up of the howling crowd of commenters, many of whom are still out for blood for some reason. It's crazy, because $523 worth of damage, by definition, can be cured for $523. Why would anyone want to pay $30,000 x 6 years to warehouse this guy instead?

(update) Young men jailed in UK for painting trains, citizens are outraged

UPDATE:

The judges at the Court of Appeal decided each should receive a two-year conditional discharge. They have served two months of their original sentences.

Their prison sentences prompted protests by their parents and a petition on the social networking website Facebook.

Five-year Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) were also quashed by Mr Justice Grigson sitting with Lord Justice Latham and Mr Justice Aikens in London. They said the Asbos were "inappropriate" because the graffiti was not threatening or offensive.

The "positive features" in their cases should also have persuaded the original trial judge a community sentence was the appropriate punishment, said Mr Justice Grigson.

Mers (18) and Krek (20) got thrown in jail (in a police station, since the prisons are full) in Manchester England. Their sentences are 12 and 15 months.

You can see in the [original] article comments that reasonable adults in the area think these sentences are ridiculously harsh. And no wonder. It doesn't make any sense to put kids in jail for nonviolent offenses. Not for the kids and not for the society. At least one of these guys is a first offender also.

But in any country, it's easiest to jail people who can't afford good legal help and to let rich celebrities and white-collar criminals who actually endanger other people's lives go free after token jail visits. Blind justice indeed. We need to reform the stupid policies that result in such society-harming results.

I hope the UK citizens will continue to condemn this sort of destructive sentencing and work to free these kids. Nonviolent first offenders need to be sent to school and to work, not to jail. Otherwise, England risks becoming a prison state like the USA, where more than 2 million people are in prison, a large proportion of which are in for nonviolent and victimless offenses such as drug possession.

Support Ket

Benefit in NYC on July 28, online + NYC auction too, at link above:




Ket needs our help in his legal battle, because he's being persecuted by city hall in NYC and the outcome will affect many writers as well as all those who cherish free speech, free expression, and the right to free assembly.

Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual 7th ed. - Columbia University

Hope you never need this, but it looks like a handy reference.

Ket: benefit auction and donation website

The Walls Belong to Us

June 25, 2007 (New York) -- On August 1st, 2007, The Hip Hop Theatre Festival will host a silent art auction and benefit for Alan Ket?s legal defense titled, THE WALLS BELONG TO US; at the POWERHOUSE ARENA. THE WALLS BELONG TO US will feature the largest line up of global graffiti, urban art, and photography ever assembled in one space, with over 120 pieces and 105 artists involved. Canvases, sculptures, prints and silk screens from world-renowned artists including, but not limited to: Martha Cooper, FUTURA 2000, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, Jamel Shabazz, GHOST, Grotesk, DELTA, Guy Gonzales, IZ THE WIZ, Jose Parla, Henry Chalfant, REVS, ZEPHYR, Shepard Fairey, EWOK, Joe Conzo, DAZE and Brett Cook Dizney.

In addition, THE WALLS BELONG TO US auction will play an instrumental role in raising funds to combat social injustice. Presently, Alan Ket [Maridueña] is the defendant in three cases in New York City. He has been accused and arrested for alleged graffiti crimes stemming from an October 2006 search of his home and office. In March 2007, police arrested him after a five-month investigation. He is charged with over a dozen felony charges [all graffiti-related] that if convicted could place him in prison for over ten years. Alan Ket has no prior criminal record. He is being represented by Daniel Perez of the law firm of Kuby and Perez LLP.

Since 1986, Alan Ket has documented the New York City graffiti art movement and been an active participant as a painter and supporter. From launching STRESS (1995) and COMPLEX magazines (2001) to serving as an art curator for the 2006 video game ?Marc Ecko?s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure?; he has made sure that graffiti art is recognized as an important and legitimate art movement by documenting its pioneers and its protagonists. Traveling to universities nationwide, Ket has been an outspoken advocate on graffiti history, criminalization, and issues concerning public art. Today, as US publisher of From Here to Fame Books, he publishes books that celebrate Hip Hop, street movements and graffiti history.

ABOUT THE AUCTION
The open-invite fundraiser will feature an open bar with beer and cocktails, music, a silent auction, and art raffles of books supplied by From Here To Fame. Alan Ket?s friends and supporters are donating works exclusively for this auction event to support his legal defense and to show solidarity to a fellow artist.

A preview of the exhibition will commence on July 25th and run through until the actual auction close date, August 4th, 2006. In addition, art patrons can visit: www.supportket.org to view and/or bid on pieces featured in the auction starting on July 25th as well. The auction will be held online with select pieces being auctioned exclusively at the fundraiser event on August 1st.

Admission is $30 (minimum donation). Capacity for this event is limited and pre-registration online via credit card is strongly encouraged to guarantee admittance. Admission at the door is cash only and will be on a space-available basis. Pre-register via www.supportket.org starting July 5th.

EVENT INFO
THE WALLS BELONG TO US, an art benefit for Alan Ket?s legal defense
August 1st, 2007; 6-9pm
Music by DJ Soul

Exhibition Preview starts July 25th, at:
POWERHOUSE ARENA in Dumbo
37 Main Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201-1021

The lineup includes: FUTURA 2000, Lee Quiñones, MICO, COCO 144, Jose Parla, Lady Pink, SMITH, Joey Krebs, Steve Marcus, Jamel Shabazz, GHOST, Joe Conzo, STAK, ESPO, Barry McGee, Grotesk, MICKEY, COPE2, Erni Panicolli, T-Kid 170, SONIC, Rob-O, Machine, MILK, SENT0, Henry Chalfant, VEN, WOLF, TEAM, VEEFER, Chris DAZE Ellis, CRASH, ZEPHYR, DONDI, Martha Cooper, MIN ONE, CORNBREAD, FREEDOM, TOOFLY, QUEEN ANDREA, PURE, NOAH, WANE, DOC, WENT, SABE, CAVE, FRAME, PERSUE, RISKY, Jani Tolin, EWOK, MARE 139, KEL 139, POSE2, WEB, ATOME, BATES, BLUSTER, CERN, CES, MED, DELTA, CYCLE, EZO, FREEDOM, FUZZ, GANO, WEN, Eric HAZE, Guy Gonzales, IZ THE WIZ, HENCE, HEWS, JA, JON 156, NYC LASE, KAVES, Matt Doyle, Joshua Griffler, MAC Crew, Mai Lucas, MERES, Ruedi One, REVS, PART, QUIK, Ricardo Cortes, SEAK, Shepard Fairey, SKUF, VIRUS, WEST, DUEL, OVIE, ZEKIS, KOE Rodriguez, Jim Prigoff, Harley Spiller aka Inspector Collector, PEAK, DIVA, SPACE YMI, JAES, POSE2, NOXER, Brett Cook Dizney and a few additional surprises.

For more info please contact: Sara Rosen, Publicity Director, powerHouse Arena
37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Tel: 212-604-9074 x105, sara@powerHouseBooks.com
Images are available upon request.

Sponsorships are available. Please contact Joanne Carolino, Associate Publisher, Mass Appeal magazine, (718) 858-0979 ext.110, joanne@massappealmag.com

Cuban dissident sentenced to 12 years for graffiti

"Human rights activists in Cuba say a dissident in the country has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for writing anti-government graffiti on the walls of a public building in the capital Havana.

"Rolando Hijmenes Posada has been held without charge since 2003.

"According to the Cuban Human Rights Commission for Human Rights and Reconciliation Rolando Hijmenes was sentenced over the weekend in a closed trial without any defense representation.

"He had already spent four years in prison without in charge.

"In 2003 he is said to have written several slogans critical of President Fidel Castro on at least one building in Havana.

"He is said to be the second dissident to face prosecution in Cuba in recent weeks. "

[If you can still complain about your government, celebrate. Keep dissidence legal. - Susan]

Ket busted in Ecko-Vallone free speech struggle, NYC

Will the rule of law triumph over the rule of the mayor?

This reminds me of Rudy G's vendetta against Espo after the effigy and elephant dung episode.

There will be benefit activities for Ket's legal defense fund, to be announced.

3 other guys are facing 43 counts for painting tunnel walls in New York. The city claims an unlikely $10,000 in damages, and for that they want 7 years of these young men's lives. Sounds like they need a good lawyer too.

Heroes, Guards, and Prisoners

Ordinary people become great, evil, and passive, depending on how they react to what's going on around them. This article explains how easy it is to fall into the prison mindset and how anyone can be a hero. This essential info will help you throughout life, so don't skip it.

Bystander's Dilemma - The Banality of Heroism, by Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo, Berkeley.edu

Brave and Reakt paint in prison: UK

Atlanta injustice strikes again

Men arrested for graffiti on interstate signs

Published on: 02/12/07

Two men were arrested Monday and charged with spray painting graffiti on overhead exit signs along the Downtown Connector last fall.

Officials with the state Department of Transportation said xxxxx, 20, of Atlanta, and yyyyy 22, of Smyrna, face felony charges in connection with the Oct. 10, 2006 vandalism of the exit signs for the Peachtree and Pine street exits.

xxx is also charged with a similar graffiti incident on the I-85 southbound exit sign to I-285 westbound in DeKalb County, said DOT spokesman David Spear.

Spear said xxxx could be sentenced to up to 21 years in prison if convicted, while yyyy faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted.

Spear said that the state spends more than $150,000 annually to repair and replace road signs defaced by graffiti.

---------end of article-----

Can I be the first to say WTF? These guys need a super lawyer, because they sure don't have a justice system.

ATL SWAT and RIAA bust Atlanta DJs over mixtapes

DJ Drama and Don Cannon Arrested For "Piracy"

The early reports of the bust show so much ignorance of hiphop and racial stereotyping that it's hard to believe. Note that the piracy and counterfeiting referred to is actually normal mix tape CDs like DJs produce everywhere.

I hope some hiphop deeper pockets step up to defend mixtapes and hiphop DJs. Mixing is good for the original artists as well as the DJs who mix it, when original products are available for sale.

The APD are going down for the third time in recent news for outlandish overreaction. First they shot grandma in a botched drug raid, then they roughed up a visiting foreign historian for jaywalking, and now SWATting some DJs as if they were enemies of the State. If they only had a brain.

Stand up for your right to buy, sell and use music so we can put all this RIAA dawn raid crap behind us. The record companies are getting desperate enough to abuse all their customers all the time on top of the abuse they show their recording artists, so why support them anymore? We'd be better off without them now. We need a better way to compensate artists directly for the music they produce. This middle man stuff needs to be history.

Support Electronic Freedom Foundation who are working to end the madness by changing laws and educating folks in the legal system. (See the RIAA and DMCA sections and the action center for more info about what this is and who's getting arrested for what.) Keep up with the copyright madness and DRM news at BoingBoing

SWAT: Machine-gun-toting riot police in armor, intended for use against heavily armed bank robbers, now used anytime for anything.

RIAA: Recording Industry thugs, currently going around busting kids and grandmas for downloading music to create an atmosphere of terror.

DMCA: Digital Millennium Copyright Act - the bad (USA) law that makes all this bad craziness possible. Passed by the sleeping do-nothing-good former Republican-majority Congress. They probably didn't even read it, as usual. Could be re-worked if you pressure your reps.

DRM: Digital Rights Management: technology invented to cripple your use of the music and videos you buy, by locking you into hardware, erasing your music, reporting your activities, and destroying your equipment. Don't buy into handcuffed music players.

WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization - working to handicap broadcasters and websites worldwide.

If you produce or consume media and music, you should get involved now, because these bad laws and unscrutinized enforcement agencies can put you and yours in jail as well as expose you and your fans to unbelievably high fines. Musicians and listeners need to work together to make a better system before the recording industry labels and mainstream broadcasting dinosaurs put everyone else out of business. This is serious stuff and it's starting to look more like the ludicrous and losing drug war every day. What is decided now will likely affect artists and their fans for the rest of our lives and beyond.

Buy music directly from the artists whenever you can. Support independent publishing. It's possible for artists to make money without government and industry thugs spying on everyone, crippling playback devices and raiding DJs and busting kids.

Swiss man faces 75 yrs in Thai jail for defacing pictures of the king

"BANGKOK (Reuters) - Police are looking to prosecute a Swiss who defaced images of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a drunken rampage on the monarch's birthday with five separate acts of lese majeste which could land him in jail for up to 75 years.

Oliver Rudolf Jufer, 57 and a long-term resident of the northern province of Chiang Mai, was arrested earlier this month after several portraits of King Bhumibol, whom many Thais regards as semi-divine, were daubed in black paint.

He has been in jail ever since while police investigated an incident which falls under draconian lese majeste laws that carry a penalty of between three and 15 years in jail for any insult to a royal. [...]"

Prison for tagging

Milwaukee Wisconsin: "In addition to the 1-1/2 years of prison time, Van Grunsven also sentenced [Syrup] to 24 months in the House of Correction, where he will be eligible for work release; six months of extended supervision under the state prison system; and three years' probation. He must pay $18,000 for the documented costs of cleaning or covering his graffiti."

Klutz, 17, gets 6 months for first offence in UK

**** update *****
Klutz is scheduled for release Feb 23!! He thanks you for your support.
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Read all about Klutz's predicament. Send him a letter to cheer him up.

Tip: don't bother sending mags, stickers, or flix to people in jail, because they just get confiscated. Send letters and blank paper and extra stamps, instead. If the UK's are like the US rules, you can also send Amazon.co.uk books to people in jail, or indeed any books that come mailed directly from the publisher.