Sandra
On this day five years ago Meek Mill launched the REFORM Alliance with a powerful message, “I’m one of the lucky ones, I’m here to speak on behalf of those people who don’t have a voice.”
From that day until now, that’s exactly what Meek has done: use his platform to shed light on the flaws of our probation and parole systems and build momentum for change.
I’m happy to report that we’ve passed 18 reforms in 11 states that have helped create pathways for more than 800,000 of our fellow citizens to move out of the system and into lives of stability.
Alongside an incredible and visionary board, REFORM was built on a few simple propositions: “The justice system should set people up to thrive and keep communities safe, not needlessly tear them apart.”
Last month, we passed legislation to transform Pennsylvania’s probation system. At the bill signing, REFORM Co-Chair Michael Rubin said: “When I sat in that courtroom in 2017 and watched a judge sentence Meek to 2-4 years in prison for NOT committing a crime, my eyes were opened to how broken Pennsylvania’s probation system is.
We made a promise to not just free Meek but to change the system for millions of others. Probation has become a trapdoor to incarceration and a bureaucratic nightmare. Instead, supervision should redirect people to the services and support that they need to rebuild their lives.”
Serving as CEO of REFORM has been the highest honor of my life. Today, I celebrate REFORM and all of my colleagues forging a safer, freer, and more just America.
Check out my full statement on REFORM’s five-year anniversary above.
Sincerely,
Robert Rooks
Chief Executive Officer
REFORM Alliance
