Today, Explained #FreedMeekMill
Sep 4, 2019
Bobby Allyn, NPR reporter who covered Meek Mill’s legal battles, and Nazgul Ghanoush, a Senior research analyst at The Sentencing Project, dive into Meek's tumultuous experience with the justice system. They discuss how a police officer and a judge extended his struggles for over a decade. The conversation reveals the flaws in the probation system, its punitive nature, and the urgent need for reform, especially for marginalized communities. They also touch on the declining crime rates juxtaposed with rising probation and incarceration statistics.
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Meek Mill's Absence from Super Bowl
- Meek Mill was absent from the Eagles' 2018 Super Bowl victory due to imprisonment.
- He was serving time for violating probation stemming from 2007 charges.
Meek Mill's Trial
- Meek Mill waived his right to a jury trial, leaving his fate to the judge.
- An officer testified that Meek pointed a gun at him, leading to his arrest and conviction.
Probation Violations
- Probation violations, not new arrests, account for a third of Philadelphia's jail population.
- Many are incarcerated simply for technicalities, like leaving city limits.