Meek Mill had been on probation for the majority of his adult life.
According to a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE, the organization recently celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 838 after five years of pushing the Pennsylvania General Assembly to reform its probation system.
Complex reports that at the press conference where Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed the bill into law, Meek Mill became overcome with emotion as he delivered remarks at the event.
“I don’t want to get emotional because it’s a lot,” Meek Mill said as he wiped tears from his eyes. “You don’t have to clap ’cause I’m at a point in my life like we all grew up in the streets, and we try to be better, but they labeled us felons and sent us back to jail. I had to fight against that the whole time to gain my respect and be who I am today, and I’m proud of that.”
According to the press release, Meek was reflective of the magnitude of the bill’s passing. “I can’t explain how much this bill means to me,” Meek Mill said. “My experience on probation reflected millions of other stories that go unheard. So when the world saw my case and the absurdity of sending people to prison for non-criminal technical violations, it sparked a movement. It’s an honor and a blessing to see this change come to my home state. I am deeply grateful to the lawmakers and advocates for their hard work over many years to get this done. Thank you, truly.”
In a statement, Gov. Shapiro said that the bill provides proof that the state leadership in Pennsylvania cares about giving citizens second chances.
“We’re showing that we believe in second chances here in Pennsylvania – and when someone gets a second chance, that should be a real opportunity to start over and succeed,” Shapiro explained. “We’re taking common sense steps to remove unnecessary barriers for Pennsylvanians who want to rebuild their lives and meaningfully contribute to our communities. Because of this bill, more people will get to spend the holidays with their families, more parents will get that job they wanted, and more people will get back on their feet. They’ve served their time, they’ve paid their debt to society – we should do everything we can to help them succeed and thrive.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
