Meek Mill Gets Teary As Pennsylvania’s Act 44 Probation Reform Bill Goes Into Effect

Meek Mill Fights Back Tears As Pennsylvania’s Act 44 Probation Reform Bill Goes Into Effect

On Friday, Meek Mill broke into tears after the Pennsylvania governor signed probation reform legislation that overhauls the same system that kept the Philly rapper in a chokehold throughout his 20s.

Act 44 is a new law designed to change the game and reconstruct the laws that kept people, including Meek behind bars over minor technical violations.

According to reports, the new law is made to ensure that people only serve time for serious breaches like committing a crime against someone. Act 44 also reserves jail time for those who fail to “complete court-mandated treatment or actions that pose a threat to public safety.”

Meek Mill / Instagram

“We all grew up in the streets and we tried to be better but they labeled us felons, sent us back to jail. I had to fight against that the whole time to get my respect and to be who I am today and I’m proud of that,” the ‘Expensive Pain’ spitter said before breaking down in tears.

He continued, “I already was in jail my whole 20s, my son saw me in prison. And I wanted to take my son to school. So I thought that it was either I’m going to go to jail, or I’m going to take my son to school. And I ended up taking my son to school.”

Meek Mill gets emotional as Pennsylvania's Act 44 Probation Reform Bill goes into effect pic.twitter.com/KxHjwDQO0G

— Peter Dredd (@PeterDredd) June 27, 2024

Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro, added saying: “So when Meek got out, we all talked together about how we could learn from his experience and how we could help others. We don’t want Meek to be the final verse of this act, we wanted him to be the opening.”

The new law also makes it possible for early termination of probation, a measure that would end repeated extensions that bind the likes of Meek for years being held under strict supervision. The rapper was kept on a short leash for years by Judge Genece Brinkley.

Erin Haney, the deputy chief advocacy officer and senior director of policy and law at REFORM Alliance, a national advocacy organization co-founded by Meek Mill, said issues like that has been a huge problem in Pennsylvania.

Act 44 will reportedly help around 300,000 people in the next five years, although there are no words on the fate of those already serving time for technical violations.