ANIMAL » PRISONWORLD

Judge SaldaÃ±a Forced to Reduce Unlawful Prison Sentence for Graffiti

Will Sherman — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:46:11 +0000

As it turns out, a Texas judge’s fiery speech sentencing a teenager to eight years in prison for graffiti was all for show. District Court Judge Marisela SaldaÃ±a apparently didn’t understand that stacking sentences, which would have forced 18-year-old Sebastian Perez to serve four two-year prison terms consecutively, wasn’t allowed for this case. Yesterday, Judge SaldaÃ±a was forced to abide by the law and reduce Perez’s sentence to two years in prison and two years of community service, a still very sizable, serious punishment. |KIII-TV3|

Tag Judge SaldaÃ±a With Your Outrage!

Will Sherman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:00:53 +0000

Yesterday, news of a Texas judge’s decision to imprison a teenage vandal for eight years without parole caused quite a stir, with most people agreeing that the punishment was way too extreme. Judge Marisela SaldaÃ±a clearly didn’t dole out such an egregious sentence to cover the cost of cleaning up the $7,300 of damage Sebastian Perez caused, after all, his incarceration will run Texas taxpayers than $140,000. And that price tag doesn’t include the considerable public expense and burden of a four-time felon lacking credible experience or job prospects, which is what Perez will be when he’s scheduled for release at age 26 after spending nearly a third of his life locked up.

No, this sentence is about making an example of the 18-year-old and a bad one at that. Earlier this year, the District Attorney’s office for Corpus Christi adopted a policy offering nothing less than maximum sentences to adult vandals, hoping to make the point, “If you spray, you pay.” District Attorney Carlos Valdez claims, “there’s deterrence in the message,” but when have tougher penalties ever effectively stopped vandalism? Pretty much never. Whether it’s artistic or strictly for fame, graffiti can’t be eradicated, only managed. Ludicrous prison terms more effectively embolden writers with added notoriety and ensure those who are caught only get an extended criminal education. Though Judge SaldaÃ±a believes eight years will reform Perez’s life, it’s more likely to ruin it irreparably.

Whatever your views on this sentence, you should consider sharing them, not only here but also with Judge Marisela SaldaÃ±a who has surprisingly been commended for offering “understanding and compassion,” as well second chances, to offenders. She conveniently offers up her Facebook page and Twitter account in addition to other means of getting in touch:

Email: votejudgesaldana@aol.com

Mailing address:
Judge SaldaÃ±a Campaign
PO Box 968
Corpus Christi, TX 78403

Phone: (361) 549-8420

Update: Judge SaldaÃ±a is forced to reduce the 8-year sentence

Photo via Judge Saldana

Texas Graffiti Writer Gets 8 Years of Prison Without Parole

Will Sherman — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:00:05 +0000

Another Texas teenager is being inordinately punished for graffiti. 18-year-old Sebastian Perez was sentenced to 8 years in state prison after pleading guilty to three vandalism charges and one for pot possession.

Unlike fellow writer Ralph Mirabel, who was given eight years by another Corpus Christi judge in August, Perez must serve his entire sentence with no possibility of parole. Despite the defendant’s probation plea and promise “to finish high school, help clean up graffiti and find a job,” State District Judge Marisela SaldaÃ±a doled out an emotional lecture and the maximum possible sentence for what amounted to roughly $7,300 in damage, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. But that’s small change compared to the more than $140,000 Texas taxpayers will shell out to keep Perez locked up so long.

Update: Judge SaldaÃ±a is forced to reduce the 8-year sentence

Prisoners Talk of Beating Bernie Madoff For Fame

Will Sherman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Ponzie schemer Bernie Madoff may be serving his 150-year sentence in one of the cushiest federal lock-ups, but that doesn’t mean he’s safe from prison brawls. According to the Post, some of his fellow inmates “were talking about smacking him around a little, just to get the notoriety of it.” |NYP|

Prisonworld Magazine Looking To Lock Down Advertisers

ANIMAL — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 22:24:46 +0000

Good news for brands like Fubu, Cheetos, and Bic pens. Prisonworld Magzine, “the one of a kind magazine for prisoners,” has opened up its pages to advertisers. Although the magazine is specifically tailored for that edgy inmate demographic, it is available to the general public too. Readers looking to correspond with the incarcerated will especially appreciate the mag’s pen pal service. Plus there’s poetry, opinions, and “religious content.” The book boasts impressive distribution too: “Prisonworld Magazine now ships to over 400 institutions, state and federal, in 32 states. ‘Since it is free to the institution’s libraries, we can estimate our readership at approximately 350,000 per month,’ says Rufus Triplett Jr., Editor.’ ” We bet the pass around rate is great too. So for brands looking to get their product in front of the country’s most incarcerated inmates, this publication has got them on lock: “Prisonworld Magazine offers better than competitive rates and an extremely unique target market. With over 2.2 million incarcerated, anyone who advertises in the magazine has a direct link to a community with its own market share.”