The graffiti crew known as ‘DWS‘ have been some of the most inspiring and respected writers in London since they seriously started hitting the trains together. Their methods are considered non-violent crimes – resulting in works that make people stop to appreciate a previously bleak concrete area or ease the frustration of another delayed train journey.

On November 27th of last year, six of the crew were sentenced to a combined six years in prison for plying their art – admitting to daubing their tags on more than 125 trains and tube carriages over a two-year period from February 2006 to November 2007, referred to by the judge as “graffiti on an industrial scale.” Three of them were sentenced to 15 months behind bars. One was jailed for 18 months, one received nine months in a younger offender institution and the last member was given a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to perform 200 hours community service.

Who decides that Banksy’s work is worthy of preservation, while his contemporaries are arrested and fined?

Locked away at the time of writing, we sent some letters to Wandsworth Scrubs Prison to get DWS head-honcho Boms‘ take on his sentence, the hypocrisy of the situation and the affect of jail on a writer. What came back is below, accompanied with a sketch from Boms at the top of the page.

Be sure to check the new book London Burners dropping 1st of April, including pieces and interviews from the crew talking about the art of bombing and avoiding arrest.

Easy all. Due to the nature of what’s being said here we’ve had to disable comments. But if anyone wants to send us photos, videos, letters of their own that help support what we’re trying to do – offer some insight in to the scene (after all I thought writers were about being seen, surely exposure’s a good thing?) – we’d love to hear from you.

Keith