Meek Mill breaks down in tears as PA Governor signs probation reform bill: Rapper recalls his own anxiety living in fear that a minor infraction could be the end of his freedom

Rapper Meek Mill became emotional talking about his personal experience on probation while at the Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signing of a new probation reform bill.

The bill instructs judges that minor technical violations should not be a reason to send someone on probation back to jail - which resonates with the Philadelphia born rapper.

Mill, 36, spent years on probation following his 2008 conviction of drug and weapons charges, and said he spent years risking going back to jail to due technical violations.

'Every time I crossed the Ben Franklin to go pick my mom up to take my son to school in New Jersey, I was actually committing a crime the whole time from technical violations,' said Mill.

'I thought that it was either I go to jail and I take my son to school and I ended up taking my son to school so I want to thank you guys here today. I don’t want to get emotional because it’s a lot.'

After wiping away his tears Mill said, 'We all grew up in the streets and we tried to be better, but they labeled us as felons and sent us back to jail. I had to fight against that the whole time to gain my respect and be who I am today and I’m proud of that.' 

In 2008, Mill was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia and second-degree possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon.

He was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison and eight years probation by a Philadelphia County Superior Court. He was released after seven months in early 2009 under a five-year probation agreement.

In 2012, he was arrested for suspected marijuana used and violated his parole for traveling for concerts in the same year, according to Rolling Stone.

Mill claimed his 2012 arrest caused him to miss out tens of thousands of dollars from performing and he lost out on money from endorsement deals, reported The Philadelphia Inquirer.

He was again sentenced to prison time in 2017 for violating his parole after he was arrested in New York for reckless endangerment when he was recorded popping wheelies on a dirt bike without a helmet. He served five months at a different at a Pennsylvania State Correction Institution. 

In January 2023, Mill was pardoned from the 2008 charges by outgoing Governor Tom Wolf, reported the Associated Press.

Mill posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the signing: 'I don’t know how I cried on the news I ain’t even cry in my cell! I needed that!'

Following his stints behind bars and various run ins with the law over the years, Mill, along with other famous names including Jay-Z and Robert Kraft, established the REFORM Alliance, an organization that aims to 'transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing.' 

REFORM Alliance co-chair Michael Rubin said, 'This is now our 18th bill in our 11th state, but for me it’s the most meaningful one since founding REFORM because this is where it started and what inspired all of us.'

'Sitting in that courtroom with Meek in 2017 watching a judge sentence him to 2-4 years for NOT committing a crime was the most out of body experience I had in my life and from that moment on I truly understood how broken the criminal justice system is.'

In Pennsylvania, this bill called the Comprehensive Probation Reform requires mandatory probation review conferences after 2 years or 50 percent of the probation sentence, whichever is sooner, and felony probation reviews to 4 years of 50 percent of the probation sentence, whichever is sooner.

It instructs judges to have a 'presumption against confinement' for minor technical violations, meaning people on probation should only be sent back to jail if commit a serious violation, fail to complete a court mandated treatment or are threat to public safety. 

Minor technical violations like showing up late to an appointment, returning home after curfew or visiting family out of state without permission can no longer be a reason to send someone back to prison.

Shapiro said, 'We’re showing that we believe in second chances here in Pennsylvania – and when someone gets a second chance, that should be a real opportunity to start over and succeed.'

'We’re taking commonsense steps to remove unnecessary barriers for Pennsylvanians who want to rebuild their lives and meaningfully contribute to our communities.'

The governor said, 'Because of this bill, more people will get to spend the holidays with their families, more parents will get that job they wanted, and more people will get back on their feet.'