Meek Mill Joins Governor Shapiro To Announce Probation Reform
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Imagine someone in your family makes a mistake and is arrested for a non violent crime. They are given six months to a year on probation. They pay about $30.00-$50.00 per month , they must not have any contact with police. They must stay in their home state.They must attend weekly classes in anger management or maybe alcohol awareness. They also must hold a steady job( which they have) . The third week in, their co worker calls out and the boss needs them to stay over. They do and miss the alcohol class. That is a violation of probation.
The probation officer gives them a violation,they must now go to court and the judge gives them three to six weeks in jail. They now lost their job, They are now behind on their bills and they are desperate. The chance they will steal or engage is other illegal activity is high, say probation reform advocates.
Yesterday, at the National Constitution Center, rapper Meek Mill joined Governor Josh Shapiro to announce probation reform. “No more will people be sent to prison or get serious consequences for a technical violation”, Shapiro said. A simple warning or explanation should be sufficient. In this new law that took five years to get done.
The Comprehensive Probation Reform legislation will help to ensure that probation prepares Pennsylvanians who have been incarcerated to successfully re-enter their communities. It requires mandatory probation review conferences after 2 years or 50% of the probation sentence, whichever is sooner, and felony probation reviews to 4 years of 50% of the probation sentence, whichever is sooner.
The law also instructs judges to have a “presumption against confinement” for minor technical violations – someone should not be sent back to jail unless they commit a “serious” violation, fail to complete court mandated treatment, or are a threat to public safety. Furthermore, many minor technical violations – like showing up late to an appointment, returning home after curfew, or visiting family out of state without permission – will no longer result in individuals being sent back to prison.
This law will also require judges to examine each case to determine the right probation conditions for that defendant’s unique situation, and allows a court to end an indigent defendant’s probation early before they finish paying their court ordered costs and fees.
Meek Mill received international publicity for being sent to prison for popping a wheelie on a motorcycle. This traffic violation should have been handled with a hefty fine. When he spoke and broke down in tears, recalling the time spent behind bars, unable to see his family.
“I drove across that bridge, to drive my son to school, and I know full well every time I crossed it I was in violation. Meek Mill is a world famous performer. He was restricted to playing in Philadelphia and surrounding area, severely hurting his income. Now he can play all over the world without worry.
Alex Lloyd Gross Meek Mill and Governor Shapiro along with Mark Rubin pose with a copy of the signed legislation.
Yesterday, Governor Shapiro also signed Clean Slate legislation, formerly HB 689, which will ensure Pennsylvanians who receive a pardon will get their criminal records cleared automatically. As a state representative, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis sponsored a bill to provide automatic expungement for pardoned individuals, and he helped to get this vital legislation over the finish line as Lieutenant Governor. The historic Clean Slate law was originally signed into law in 2018 by Governor Tom Wolf, leading the nation by making Pennsylvania the first state to seal criminal records through automation.