When Meek Mill and Michael Rubin teamed up in 2019 to break ground on their criminal justice reform organization REFORM Alliance, their goal was to make lasting improvements in the justice system. Late last year, they assisted California in passing one of the most progressive probation reform bills in the country and now, they’re celebrating a similar win in Michigan.
Michigan state just passed SB 1048, SB 1050, and SB 1051 this week. According to press materials, the new set of laws “will reduce adult probation sentences in Michigan from five years to three years, prevent endless extensions on misdemeanor and felony probation terms, limit jail sanctions for technical probation violations, and require parole supervision terms to be tailored to a person’s risks and needs.” Prior to signing the new legislation, Michigan had the sixth-highest rate of probation in the country. Over 172,000 adults are probation and 17,000 are on parole in the state, which tallies to cost the state over $59 million each year.
Just help change another law in probation in America …. details coming soon!
— MeekMill (@MeekMill) January 4, 2021
About the exciting news, REFORM co-chair Michael Rubin thanked Michigan’s governor, saying, “It’s encouraging to watch bipartisan leaders from different states recognize the need for fair and rational legislation focused on creating second chances for those in the criminal justice system. We’re incredibly thankful for Governor Whitmer for signing these bills into law and for the coalition of groups that supported us throughout this process. This is a tremendous victory for REFORM and a strong way to start 2021.”
Echoing Rubin’s statements, REFORM’s National Policy Director Erin Haney said:
“Michigan’s criminal justice reforms are a positive achievement during a difficult and divisive year. The legislation provides a commonsense approach to justice reform by focusing on redemption, families, and safe communities while saving millions of dollars for Michigan taxpayers. Michigan’s efforts capstone a national movement that has seen bipartisan reform victories this year in red, purple, and blue states like California and Louisiana, and can be a model for other states seeking to fix broken criminal justice systems. REFORM Alliance is proud to have helped drive these state victories, and we look forward to working with bipartisan coalitions throughout the nation to support and pass more reforms in 2021.”
Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
