Meek Mill penned a powerful op-ed for the New York Times, calling for an overhaul of the criminal justice system.
The rapper has endured his own difficult experience with the system in the last year, when he served a five-month sentence for a controversial probation violation from an 11-year old case. Since his release in April, Meek Mill has used his platform to speak out about the injustices he has witnessed.
“Like many who are currently incarcerated, I was the victim of a miscarriage of justice ― carried out by an untruthful officer, as determined by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, and an unfair judge,” the Philadelphia-based rapper wrote.
“My crime? Popping a wheelie on a motorcycle in Manhattan,” he continued in the essay that ran in Monday’s paper. “The ordeal cost me my most precious commodity: my freedom. I served five months.”
“It’s clearer than ever that a disproportionate number of men and women of color are treated unfairly by a broken criminal justice system,” Mill, whose birth name is Robert Williams, wrote. “The system causes a vicious cycle, feeding upon itself ― sons and daughters grow up with their parents in and out of prison, and then become far more likely to become tied up in the arrest-jail-probation cycle. This is bad for families and our society as a whole.”
Noting that “a disproportionate number of men and women of color are treated unfairly by a broken criminal justice system,” he announced that he would also be starting a foundation focused on creating better prison rehabilitation programs, updated probation policies and an improved bail system.
David Dow/Getty Images
Meek Mill also announced on Monday that he would be embarking on his first tour since his release from jail. His “Motivation” tour, in support of his latest Championships, will be a 16-city trek that starts in February 2019.
We’re glad to see him making the most of his platform since his release.
