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Rapper Meek Mill was formally incarcerated on Wednesday, November 8. Meek was sentenced to 2-4 years in prison for violating his probation in relation to a 2008 gun and drug possession charge.
Meek was originally sentenced to five years of probation for the charges, but his probation was extended in 2016 for another 10 years after violating travel restrictions that a judge had previously imposed on him.
Multiple rappers in the industry have since spoken out against the harsh sentencing, including Jay-Z, who condemned the judge’s decision on Facebook earlier this week, calling the sentencing “unjust and heavy-handed.”
Other celebrities including Torrey Smith, Isaiah Thomas, ASAP Ferg and T.I. have also spoken out against the sentencing.
https://twitter.com/TorreySmithWR/status/927681603937161216
https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas/status/927715530848587776
Whenever we fall we get up and keep dreaming #FreeMeek https://t.co/EnzVyre8Fl
— HOOD POPE (@ASAPferg) November 9, 2017
CNN News commenter Van Jones went on The Wendy Williams Show and broke down exactly why Meek Mill’s prison sentencing is not only unjust, but a reflection of how desperately the criminal justice system is in need of reform.
“I’ve never heard of a case where a brother stands before a judge, the prosecutor says ‘do not put this brother in jail’; the probation office says ‘do not put this brother in jail’, and for some reason, the judge says ‘I’m going to put him in jail anyway.'”
Jones went on to elaborate on the case, referencing the minor and relatively harmless probation violations that have resulted in Meek’s sentencing.
“But, look at what he actually did,” Jones continued. “He popped a wheelie trying to entertain kids, he got his wisdom teeth pulled out and got hooked on Percocet, went to rehab, told them where he was going, but they got confused about that. Then, he broke up a fight in an airport, that police said he was doing the right thing when I looked at the video. So, popping a wheelie to entertain kids and getting off drugs, that doesn’t make you a villain… you should not be in jail for that.”
The outcry has since resulted in a petition calling for the judge to reevaluate Meek’s harsh sentencing.
“More than just a celebrity or rapper, Meek Mill has been a powerful voice in the community for our youth,” the petition reads. “He has made positive contributions to many communities and programs, dedicating time and money to the cultivation of our youth and neighborhoods; even through his own adversities.”
The rapper posted his final photo to Instagram before being processed at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Grateford in Montgomery County, his caption stating, “We go to war for our freedom … they say we equal …. i used to wanna play i like Randall and be a Eagle …. i used to play the quarterback my homie would go receiver … that was until the football got flattened by a dope needle … on the pavement”.
