Meek Mill has long been vocal about becoming committed to social justice and reform. As far back as 2018, the Philadelphia rapper has long expressed his commitment and desire to fight for criminal justice reform. Sticking to his word, he’s since linked up with the REFORM Alliance to work hard to achieve this.
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The group’s latest legislative victory occurred in Virginia, achieved through a collaborative effort with Justice Forward VA, American Conservative Union, and Faith and Freedom. With the new HB 2038 law, the state’s probation population will be reduced considerably, limiting adult probation sentences to a maximum of one year for misdemeanors and five for felonies. Before this law, Virginia was one of seven states in the country with no probation restrictions.
The law will take effect on July 1st. “This legislation is a meaningful step forward toward building better pathways for Virginians stuck in the probation trap, and sets a positive example for what can be done in other states across the country,” REFORM CEO Robert Rooks said. “We’re thankful for the support behind HB 2038 that will reunite families, prevent unnecessary incarcerations and give life back to thousands of Virginians.”
As for Meek Mill, the rapper felt particularly compelled to use his platform to help reform these laws because of his own experience with probation. “When people directly impacted by probation and our broken criminal justice system, like Meek Mill and others at the REFORM Alliance, get behind those of us fighting to make a difference on these issues, we can create substantive and meaningful change,” Delegate Don Scott said.
HB2038 will also create a system of certain sanctions for technical probation violations in order to prevent people from being re-incarnated for certain probation violations. Big ups to Meek Mill and the REFORM alliance for this major legislative win.
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