Thomas `TJ' Dolan, 20, and friend Thomas Whittaker, 18, have applied to help run art workshops and help prisoners with reading and writing skills.
The request is being considered by bosses at Deerbolt prison in Co Durham.
Dolan, known as Krek, was jailed for 15 months and Whittaker, known as Mers, for 12 months at Manchester Crown Court last month.
Whittaker was due to start his art degree at Liverpool John Moores University this month and Dolan has previously worked with young offenders and children in schools.
An appeal has now been lodged against the sentences and the two are waiting to hear if it will be granted.
The pair have received hundreds of messages of support and more than 1,400 have signed an online petition to try to get them freed. Note skate shop on Tib Street has also sold out of T-shirts with the words `Free Krek Free Mers' in graffiti-style lettering.
Awareness
Hundreds of skateboarders and spray can artists also attended a festival in Manchester to raise awareness of the case.
During the `skate and graff jam' on London Road, under the Mancunian Way, the names of the two men were sprayed in their trademark style and a video of what some think about the sentences is to be posted on the website YouTube.
Phil Heathcote, leading the campaign to free the pair, said: "We're not saying that what they did wasn't wrong or illegal - and in fact they admitted it was in court.
"But with the prisons overcrowded and the M.E.N. recently reporting on 15,000 criminals, including rapists, being let off with a caution, we think these prison sentences are way overboard and should be revoked immediately."
Dolan's mother, Judy, attended the event with other relatives and said: "It's great to know everyone is thinking about them.
"They are finding it difficult in prison. They've asked if they can do art workshops and help other prisoners with their reading and writing. It's a possibility and they are waiting to hear.
"We will continue to highlight the severity of the sentences. No one has said they should not be punished, but the severity of the sentences is ridiculous."
Judy described her heartbreak at having to visit her son in prison.
She added: "When I come away it just hurts and it's getting more difficult for me. When I see how he is, I just want to take him home with me. It's hard to cope with."
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"more than 1,400 have signed an online petition to try to get them freed". I daresay more would sign one to keep them in.
"T-shirts with the words `Free Krek Free Mers' in graffiti-style lettering" - it's an ill wind etc etc...
Still, at least the kids have done their bit. Now let the boys do their time in peace :-)
Ctacher, I would gladly sign a petition to keep them in. They broke the law but their supporters say 'they are nice lads, they shouldn't be in prison'. I'm quite a nice bloke really but if I go out and vandalise things I expect to take the consequences.
These two destroyed a restored train with their 'art'. Years of painstaking restoration just destroyed by these two.
I hope the appeal goes agansit them and they get longer.
I have a friend who prints T shirts (not this one),to quote him'Kids will buy anything if it's fashionable'.
I don't think the shop were necessarily selling them.or people buying them because they support these vandals.
I agree with with Catcher about the online petition.
Thank you gentlemen. You notice that none of the 'kids' have made a comment yet - that's because they are all in bed till dinner time.
Instead of going to prison they should have been made to clean up their vandalism and that should have been the end of it.
What they did was wrong... but still I wish them good luck. They'll gain a lot from educating and giving their time to others.
The length of the sentence given to these two is not the problem, it's simply that the length of sentence given to more serious offenders is woefully inadequate and whilst it seems a harsh sentence to some I would ask these people how they would feel about me if I decided to paint the front of their property in whatever design I wanted.....
ill sign it too. extend their sentence for wasting our time
So basically what we have here is a situation that we have all asked for.
A better punishment for low level crime, to deter others, and all you get is the same people saying that the punishment is too hard! Great.
Obviously, we need to see this across the board for all crimes out there and then this might not look so 'bad'.
They sound like good kids, but what they did was wrong and they need punishing. If other kids realise that they may get the same prison sentence, then hopefully they will be deterred, which is a good thing.
I hope some Police officer is now doing his/her job and looking for these lads in the M.E.N photo?.....They are spraying walls again on the photo....AREST THEM!.....Nail'em up I say!... Nail'em up!
i really do hope the appeal revokes the sentance for both the lads. they both have so much to offer, this side of the 'wall'.
Keep them in, and also send more vandals in!!!
I am sick to death of this story, why are you publicising these criminals?
Can we just forget about these two? They are a waste of time and space. Keep them locked up; I am up to my fig to hear about these two vandals. There are more important issues than these two hooligans and the MEN should maybe stop supporting them. (Would that be published?) They are where they belong... in jail. Please can we just stop talking and writing about them it really gets on my nerves.
Nobody sprayed wall's on Saturday, they were boards specifically for the purpose of protesting - Even two cars, who's owners wished to have them sprayed to raise awareness were brought down to the event. For the record, we are not kid's who are protesting, I am an adult who's been at work since 8am this morning and have only just had a second to have a quick look on here, I think you'll find most of those in support have full time jobs and work hard. The stereotype's you consistently seem to fall back on are from the dark ages. They say more about you as people than the true facts of the case at hand. It'll continue to be an issue as long as we continue to raise it as one and that's simply something you'll have to deal with.
FREE KREK - FREE MERS.
Extend their sentences now for wasting everyone's time and stop giving publicity to these louts
Free them.
whoever it was that said 'nail em up' get a grip! the boards being painted belonged to the people organising the event. they were fastened to fences and then taken down at the end of the day. It was a great day and a positive time was had by all. At the end of the day the people taking part all helped tidy up and return the area to its normal state. There was no police prescence and everything went along great. There was music and colour and lots of kids running about, the kind of wholesome day I think some of you lot are probably missing out on. I see the same old names posting their boring old rhetoric on here and you all do it on all the other story's comments. TEDIOUS. I see catcher in the rye, you are back-you were unable to tackle me on anything I said on the other story about tj's letter as I rendered your futile argument redundant-Holden would despise you. It is pointless trying to have any kind of discourse with people that only wish to talk venomously about the lads in order to get bile out of their system or whatever.
"more than 1,400 have signed an online petition to try to get them freed". I daresay more would sign one to keep them in."..catcher
But then again you'll never get it together to organise a petition will you!
As for your comments about kids being in bed until dinnertime, maybe it never occurred to you that they might be at college or work. If anything it would be easier for kids to make judgements about you sitting on a computer commenting on every single bit of news in your knee jerk fashion.
Guess what though, kids aren't going to do that because your ideas are so dated and insignificant.
Props to all who attended on Saturday and good look to both with the appeal.
Come on people we are getting through and people like giles and catcher in the rye (do you write to mark chapman much, because i'm sure you'd have plenty to talk about?) know it!!
You won't stop the support boys!!! ( in fact i'd put my house on it your're o.a.p's)
The support is getting bigger and bigger, i've just been on bbc one..it's officially national news come on!!!!
With this support and the appeal going through the boys will be out by xmas!!!
All you baying for blood on here SHAME ON YOU!!!! You missed you're chance in berlin 1938!!!!!
All of us behind the boys have never once said what they've done isn't a crime..we are trying to understand both sides...why don't you try it?...Ignorance is bliss one supposes!!
I'll leave you with this thought in light of the recent 8 cases of rape in the north west who were all given FINAL WARNINGS!!
YOU CAN WIPE OFF PAINT FROM A TRAIN...... YOU CANNOT WIPE RAPE FROM A VICTIMS MIND!!!!!
FREE KREK FREE MERS!!!
I was there on saturday and it was lovely to see some of the fantastic work that these artists create, there was no trouble at all and we sent a very positive message.
As for those who are sick of hearing about this, then why do you seem to be spending so much of your time thinking of nasty things to say!
We are fighting for a cause that we believe in, you are just here to moan.
As for being in bed till dinner time, i wish! i have been doing volunteer work all morning saving dogs from being put to sleep by our wonderful council!, we are not the thugs and yobs that you are stereotyping as.
Doubledee, Manchester: oh how I laughed. This'll be old news in a week or two when you and the kids have another bone to gnaw.
Yet again 'The Catcher, In The Rye' has nothing but ridiculous comments to make; thanks for the insight.
I'm really glad the protest went smoothly; I'd expect nothing less from the graffiti artists of Manchester & surrounding areas. Well done to everyone that turned up. It will be great news if the TJ & Tom get released before christmas. Fingers crossed!
FREE KREK & MERS
from www.encams.org:
"The estimated cost of graffiti to the country is over £1 billion a year. The London Underground alone believes it costs up to £10m a year to replace all the glass that is etched with graffiti in addition to the £2.5m annually needed to clear up other types of graffiti".
Ally,doubledee etc, what cause are you supporting, the right to vandalise other people's property????? The gulags will be waiting for anti social louts when I seize power!
The support is getting bigger and bigger-shows the decline in society. The dole queue does as well and people that have never read a book in their lives. Im 31 by the way but when I become an OAP Im going to enjoy been grumpy.