#JUSTICE4MEEK | #PROBATIONISATRAP

On Monday, November 6, 2017 news surfaced about a miscarriage of justice against Philadelphia rapper Robert Williams - better known as Meek Mill. The 30 year old was sentenced to 2 - 4 years and immediately taken into custody, over a non-existent parole violation for an offense that happened when he was 18.

Let us be clear - this is not just about one man and one bad judge. Meek’s fame and his success didn’t stop him from being victimized by the same system that criminalizes and over-incarcerates people of color. The case makes it clear that even wealth and/or social status cannot protect people of color from historically racist institutions that grant individuals so much power over our lives. This is not new, and it sends a signal to Meek's young black and brown fans that incarceration is all they deserve.

But maybe, by using Meek's platform to highlight these patterns of injustice, we can help change the system. Men and women on probation are re-incarcerated at alarming rates for "technical violations" as trivial as popping a wheelie or missing a check-in, and probation or parole is too often a decades-long shadow that follows people regardless of their contributions to the society after their release. Listen to the stories of others from the Philadelphia community and join the conversation on social media using #ProbationIsATrap.

Share more from Justice League NYC:

1/ This is the awesome power of intersectionality! We continue to connect the dots between what @Kaepernick7 started with #TakeAKnee & the critical campaign to #FreeMeekMill - https://t.co/rwXt0ShtA6
— Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) January 29, 2018

In 2017, 2.3 million people were incarcerated while a staggering 4.5 million were under parole or probation (@prisonpolicy). Incarceration is only a part of the bloated criminal justice system. #Dream4Justice pic.twitter.com/icwBo0jOGv
— Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) January 15, 2018

Another reason the population of jails and prisons keeps growing: prison labor. Inmate jobs can be completely unpaid, or paid pennies per hour, to make goods and sell services for private corporations. #Dream4Justice pic.twitter.com/NL1STE56O1
— Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) January 15, 2018

This is why we fight so hard to #FreeMeekMill . Like JayZ said, "probation is a trap!" In order to build, we must first dismantle. These systemic injustices that prey on our communities must be dismantled. Thank you @JasonTDawkins !! #Justice4Meek https://t.co/Vxeqar4hW8 pic.twitter.com/MhXlaTRMHi
— Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) January 19, 2018