All Meek Mill wants is for families to spend Christmas together. Photo: TNS
All Meek Mill wants is for families to spend Christmas together.
The Philadelphia-born On My Soul rapper, 35, is helping nearly two dozen families with incarcerated relatives this holiday season, according to a release shared with the US media.
He paid for the bail of 20 women incarcerated in the Riverside Correctional Facility, located in the City of Brotherly Love, who otherwise couldn’t afford to go home for the holidays.
“It was devastating for me to be away from my son during the holidays when I was incarcerated,” said Mill, born Robert Williams.
He also gave each of the women a gift card intended for groceries or presents.
As a result of his own experience being incarcerated, Mill said he empathises with “what these women and their families are going through.
“No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail,” he continued, according to the release. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”
Of the 20 women Mill helped, five were released on Saturday (Dec 24), Christmas Eve. Those still behind bars will be released in coming days, according to the release.
Along with Jay-Z and Michael Rubin, Mill co-founded Reform Alliance, which “aims to transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing,” according to its site.
Reform Alliance has passed 16 bills across 10 states.
The nonprofit has also put on holiday-centric events, dating back to before the pandemic, to better the season for families affected by the criminal justice system, the release notes. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
