The Philadelphia rapper has been giving back this holiday season through Reform Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to probation, parole, and sentencing reform.
Last week on Friday, rapper Meek Mill helped spread the holiday spirit by paying the bail of 20 Philadelphia-area women at the Riverside Correctional Facility. Five of them were already released in time for Christmas Eve, while the remaining 15 will continue to be released throughout this week. Additionally, each of them walked away with a gift card to spread even more holiday cheer.
“It was devastating for me to be away from my son during the holidays when I was incarcerated,” Meek Mill said. “So I understand what these women and their families are going through. No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”
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The Philadelphia native is no stranger to giving back to his community. In 2019, Meek and business partner Michael Rubin, the CEO of Fanatics and former co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, co-founded Reform Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to probation, parole, and sentencing reform in the United States — it was through this entity that Meek and Co. were able to pay bail for these women. Just over a week before that, Meek Mill provided a treat to local children with parents caught up in the criminal justice system with a day at the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice facility on the south side of the city.
Earlier this month, Meek Mill was selected to Boardroom’s inaugural Most Influential list for 2022, with a major reason being his criminal justice reform advocacy work away from the stage. The rapper embarked on this journey after enduring his own troubling experience in the justice system in which he fought for his freedom for a dozen years, drawing needed attention to inequities and shortcomings in the bail, incarceration, and parole process along the way.
After being arrested in 2006 and 2008 for incidents related to weapons charges, Meek Mill ran into a number of parole violations in the ensuing decade. This eventually led to his serving five months of jail time in 2018 after he was arrested for reckless endangerment while riding a dirtbike New York City. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Meek and his team, the 2008 conviction was eventually overturned, ending the lengthy ordeal.
Now, the Philly superstar is paying it forward.
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