Meek Mill’s Advocacy For Probation Reform Sparks New Pennsylvania Senate Bill

Meek Mill’s dedication to fighting for criminal justice reform has inspired a new Senate bill.

Since Mill’s release from prison, the Philly native has been on the go with promoting social and criminal justice reform, as he has been very outspoken about the brutality of the prison in relation to probation.

His efforts have sparked the Pennsylvania Senate to announce a new bipartisan bill, Bill 14, which would grant the limit of probation years to five for felonies and three for misdemeanors. It would also make it possible for a prisoner’s probation time to be shortened if they are portraying good behavior. The rapper took to Twitter in celebration saying, “This is great news! I’ve been on probation 11 years and sent to prison three times without committing crime,” he wrote. “This will directly affect people growing up in bad environments going in and out of prison for minor mistakes “not crime.'”

Prior to the new bill, prisoners under probation in Pennsylvania could possibly risk having their sentences extended in the event that they didn’t pay fines or if they have a run-in with police. These factors both lead to mass incarceration, Hot New Hip Hop reports.

“The time he served because of technical violations greatly extended the amount of time he would have served,” said state Sen. Sharif Street (D-District 3). “When we have high-profile cases that draw our attention to circumstances that should not apply to any Pennsylvanian, it’s up to us to address those circumstances.”

“While the criminal population is decreasing, the number of those on probation and parole is increasing as we speak,” noted state Sen. Anthony Williams (D-District 8). “We no longer want to re-incarcerate someone through probation and parole.” “An individual who receives a traffic violation should not receive a prison sentence just because they are on parole,” added state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, (R-District 46).