Meek Mill and Van Jones help propose new bipartisan bill on probation reform.
The Philadelphia rapper is continuing his efforts on the American criminal justice system by helping introduce a new legislation that will work to improve his state’s parole and probation system. On Tuesday, the rapper and REFORM Alliance co-chairs Van Jones, #MichaelRubin and state representatives #JordanHarris and #SherylDelozier helped introduce the bill.
According to Complex, the new bill seeks to prevent people on parole or probation parolees from getting stuck in the criminal justice system by reducing probationary periods, allowing incentives for good behavior, and minimizing restrictions for technical probation violations, which is how Meek went to prison in 2017. If the bill is passed parolees and probationers would no longer by re-incarcerated for violations like marijuana use, being associated with convicted criminals or traveling outside their jurisdiction (“unless it can be proven they were trying to escape supervision”).
“This proposed bill is the first step in changing the criminal justice system, and it’s only right that we start in my home state,” Meek said. “I’ve lost too much time away from my son, my family, my friends and fans in Philly because of outdated probation laws, so I want to make sure people don’t have go through what I did.”
Both political groups have shown support for the potential new legislation, as well as REFORM Alliance’s collaboration with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Pennsylvania has the highest number of incarcerations in the western hemisphere, and the second-highest percentage of U.S. citizens on probation and parole, Complex reports.
