Dear Friends, During the months he has spent in jail (which will soon come to an end) our Director Dennis Sobin has completed the second book he set out to write at the beginning of his incarceration. Dennis was incarcerated for going to D.C. City Hall (by invitation) to testify at a public hearing in defiance of an unconstitutional court order that his son (an Assistant District Attorney General that works in City Hall) had placed against him. The case is in appeal and being reviewed (many thanks to James Butler Esq., the ACLU and the legal team from Georgetown). The first book Dennis completed in jail is entitled "Outsider Art On The Inside: Understanding and Helping Imprisoned Artists." It is being type-set and prepared for publication and will soon be available at the Prisons Foundation website: (www.prisonsfoundation.org). Dennis' second book, "From Prison to the Kennedy Center: Starting Over at the Top" profiles many individuals and organizations. Dennis also discusses encounters with the legal system and notable activists, artists, convicts and individuals he has met over the last forty years of his activism including: Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and ex prisoner philanthropist Lloyd S. Rubin among many others. Below are the final paragraphs from this book: Midway through the 66th year of my life, while still in jail, a dream came true when I was visited and interviewed by a feature writer for the prominent national Music magazine "Spin." Many established artists would kill to get into this popular and influential publication, much less go to jail for it. After writer David Peisner and I discussed my musical and Foundation goals and accomplishments, I mentioned my political plans. David asked, "Do you think you'd have much of a chance of making an impact since you don't have clean hands?" David knows about the false allegations and relentless persecution in Florida that earlier resulted in ten years of imprisonment, and the tricks my son and sister pulled to re-incarcerate me on my return (after asking them for an accounting of my inheritance and personal savings). I answered, "To me, clean hands are empty hands.....mine are experienced hands." David already knew they were musical ones, having listened to my numerous CD's that I had recorded both inside and outside the underbelly of society: prison. About that underbelly, our political leaders would do well to spend some time there. Perhaps not a lengthy amount as I have done, but at least some period. They would then see the results of the mindless laws, mistake-prone judges and socially insulated and politically motivated members of the establishment's "lock em up" crowd. And they would understand the words of the sad but wise ex con I met in 1965 that helped shape my life: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King Jr. "Letter from Birmingham jail." Yours for justice, Dennis Sobin #206757 C.T.F. D-3B #10 1901 E Street SE Washington, D.C. 20003 A CALL FOR SUPPORT: The Prisons Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the arts and education in prison and alternatives to incarceration. We are now accepting tax deductable donations. The support of our supporters, quite bluntly, is what keeps us going. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the Prisons Foundation so that we may continue to promote the arts in prison and help encourage the wonderful atistic talent we cultivate everyday: *Note the views in this letter are those of Dennis Sobin. Please send your comments directly to him

Dear Friends, We are pleased to announce to report that the selection of a world-class Board of Directors for our upcoming Safe Streets Arts Foundation is progressing well. We encourage others to continue to apply, however, since there are additional seats we wish to fill. We are striving for maximum diversity. The new Safe Streets Arts Foundation will take over (from the Prison Art Gallery) and expand our annual Kennedy Center program "From Prison to the Stage" which features the work of imprisoned and formerly imprisoned playwrights and composers. The Safe Streets Arts Foundation will also establish and oversee a network of prison galleries across the U.S. (and potentially overseas) under the sponsorship of other nonprofit organizations; using as a model our successful Prison Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. Listed below are the impressive and distinguished backgrounds of some the people who have been initially accepted to serve on the Safe Streets Arts board. Their names are being withheld pending final notification of all accepted applicants. Current board members selected include: • An established artist, art curator and art professor whose art is featured in a well known gallery. For the last six years she has been a mentor to imprisoned artists at a famous women's prison. • A former prisoner who produces and hosts a popular broadcast program for a major radio station. While in prison he formed a singing group that successfully performed and toured after the members were released; including a stunning and moving production at the Kennedy Center. • A warden of a large men's State Prison who holds a PhD and believes that "Art programs boost self-esteem." She previously served as warden of a maximum security women's prison and is a national speaker on modern prison initiatives. • A Social Scientist and professor of Criminal Justice who acquired his graduate degree after his release from prison in 1991. He has served on government commissions responsible for funding billions of dollars into community development and crime prevention programs. • A former elected official who is currently a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. An international traveler and collector of art, he holds a law degree and a master degree in International Affairs. If you are interested in submitting an application for a position on the board, please send a resume and a brief letter of introduction and interest to: Prisons Foundation C/o: Board Selection Committee 1600 K Street NW Suite #501 Washington, D.C. 20006 Yours for justice, Dennis Sobin #206757 C.T.F. D-3B #10 1901 E Street SE Washington, D.C. 20003 A CALL FOR SUPPORT: The Prisons Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the arts and education in prison and alternatives to incarceration. We are now accepting tax deductable donations. The support of our supporters, quite bluntly, is what keeps us going. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the Prisons Foundation so that we may continue to promote the arts in prison and help encourage the wonderful atistic talent we cultivate everyday. *Note the views in this letter are those of Dennis Sobin. Please send your comments directly to him.

Dear Friends, The Prison Art Gallery now has Hi-rez images of original art available for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. Just go to the Prisons Foundation website; click on the Prisons Gallery button and select the link for original art sale. The actual site where the images are being housed is: www.Flickr.com/photos/dondimon. Once you get to the site you will see images arranged by categories and photo stream. For actual sizes, modality and prices of the images please call the gallery at (202) 393-1511. We are also pleased to announce that between now (December) and May 30th 2009, we will be reviewing plays and musicals written by prisoners and ex prisoners for our 2009 Kennedy Center "From Prison to the Stage" Program. The show will take place on Labor Day weekend, September 2009. If you are a prisoner or ex prisoner with a play or musical or will have one completed by May 30th, please send it to us. A cash prize will be will be rewarded to each of the five playwrights whose work will be performed. Other submitted plays, with names of their authors, will be noted in the Kennedy Center program. This event is part of the Kennedy Center's wildly successful and popular Page to Stage Festival featuring new works written for the theater by up-and-coming playwrights and theater companies. It is held annually and attracts an overflow crowd with its free admission and extensive publicity. Our 2008 "From Prison to Stage," made possible through the generosity of our Executive Producer Lloyd S. Rubin, enjoyed wide critical acclaim. We regret that no submitted material can be returned, although acknowledgment of receipt will be sent. Notice will be mailed when a final determination is made. We encourage playwrights and artists to submit inspired work that is both politically and socially relevant with robust, original themes. Please send submissions to: Prisons Foundation C/o Review Committee 1600 K Street NW Suite #501 Washington, DC 20006 Yours for Justice, Dennis Sobin #206757 Central Detention Facility 1901 D Street S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 *Note the views in this letter are those of the author alone. Please send your comments directly to him.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] We are pleased to announce that we have purchased a beautiful and well-equipped motorhome RV (see below) with funds that the ACLU obtained for us in a settlement with the City of Washington, DC, following the illegal actions of DC police who tried to prevent us from displaying and selling art by imprisoned artists on the sidewalks of DC. Lawyers working with the ACLU successfully argued that the actions of DC police against us violated DC law and our First Amendment constitutional rights. We are planning a tour of much of our extensive collection of prison art with the mobile unit this winter throughout the Southern states. Would you or your organization be interested in hosting a prison art show in your city? if so, please write or call us at [email protected] 202-393-1511. Thank you.