Meek Mill’s Reform Alliance Raises $20 Million To Continue Prison Reform Efforts

Seven years ago, rapper Meek Mill was released from situation pursuing an outcry that turned into a societal activity astir situation reform. Now he’s nan look of REFORM Alliance, a nonprofit he co-founded alongside his friends Jay-Z and Fanatics CEO and founder, Michael Rubin.

“I ne'er thought I would go for illustration nan look of reform,” Mill told NBC News connected Saturday up of nan nonprofit’s fundraiser astatine nan Ocean Casino Resort successful Atlantic City. “I travel from nan different broadside of America. We ever talk astir it, but conscionable climbing done poverty, climbing done being sent successful and retired of prison.”

Since his merchandise from situation successful 2018, Mill has been focused connected changing laws astir probation and parole.

For much connected this communicative watch Top Story pinch Tom Llamas coming astatine 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT connected NBC News Now.

Mill, Jay-Z and Rubin brought together immoderate of nan biggest names successful Hollywood Saturday to raise consciousness and money for their ngo astatine their 2nd Casino Night: Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Machine Gun Kelly, New England Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft, Kevin Hart, Ivanka Trump, Cameron Diaz, and moreover a capacity by The Weeknd. Following a unrecorded auction and a blackjack tournament, nan celebrities raised much than $20 million.

Cameron Diaz astatine nan Michael Rubin REFORM Alliance Casino Night Event successful Atlantic City, N. J., connected Saturday.Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for REFORM Alliance

The costs will beryllium utilized toward promoting nan transition of authorities crossed nan state to betterment overly restrictive probation and parole laws. To date, nan statement has helped walk 22 laws successful 12 states.

In 2022, nan nonprofit was down a measure successful Florida, S.B. 752, that was yet enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis to let group to gain acquisition and activity credits that could beryllium utilized to shorten their probation terms. Nearly 150,000 group were expected to use from this measure complete 5 years, REFORM Alliance said astatine nan time.

Now nan group is focused connected nan White House and getting support from President Donald Trump to walk a bipartisan measure called nan Safer Supervision Act, targeted astatine nan 120,000 Americans nether national supervision.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump astatine nan the Michael Rubin REFORM Alliance Casino Night Event successful Atlantic City, N.J., connected Saturday.Shareif Zivadat / REFORM Alliance

“Last year, we introduced a bipartisan measure that would create a pathway to group earning their measurement disconnected of supervision, and besides get free of immoderate of these technicalities, nan method violations make it wherever probation officers could really attraction their resources connected nan astir superior cases,” REFORM Alliance CEO Jessica Jackson said. “We’re very excited. It’s taken astir 4 years of activity connected that bill.”

The statement has been moving to put limits connected really galore years Americans tin beryllium nether organization supervision and restrict really and erstwhile personification tin beryllium sent backmost to situation for a method violation.

“A method usurpation is erstwhile personification breaks a norm of their probation,” Jackson said. “So erstwhile you’re first put connected probation, nan judge sounds a agelong database of conditions that includes not being capable to beryllium astir different group pinch a criminal record, having to make each of your meetings pinch your probation officer, having to find a occupation ... not being capable to time off your region aliases your jurisdiction wherever nan crime was committed.”

In Mill’s case, popping a wheelie connected a motorcycle was considered a usurpation of his probation successful Pennsylvania stemming from a supplier and weapon complaint from 2008, a decade earlier. It landed him successful situation for 5 months and ignited a nationalist movement.

“I conscionable told Mike [Rubin] to travel to tribunal and spot really nan strategy really operates. And he near pinch tears successful his eyes,” Mill said.

Rubin said nan strategy seemed to beryllium group up for group to fail.

“Someone should not beryllium capable to enactment connected probation and parole for an extended, agelong play of clip to where, if they make nan smallest of mistakes, not a crime, they get sent backmost to prison,” Rubin said.

Michael Rubin and Robert Kraft be nan Michael Rubin REFORM Alliance Casino Night Event successful Atlantic City, N.J., connected Saturday.Arturo Holmes / Getty Images for REFORM Alliance

Mill was released from situation successful 2018 aft nan Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered his contiguous release.

For Meek, it’s a infinitesimal to bespeak connected really acold he’s travel and really galore group he’s been capable to help.

“It’s a civilization daze coming from conscionable increasing up successful nan ghettos of America and trying to go thing pinch yourself,” Mill said. “You know, I made euphony and making it retired of nan ghetto and becoming a superstar successful euphony and beryllium capable to supply for my family was a dream of mine, but this was an other legacy, a dream that conscionable came astir that you couldn’t really fathom.”