(AllHipHop News) Just days after Robert “Meek Mill” Williams took to social media to advocate for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to stop the execution of Rodney Reed, the Philly rapper continued to fight for other imprisoned individuals. Meek Mill and Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin met with Maurice Hudson in a Pennsylvania prison on Friday.
Hudson was sentenced to 1½ to 3 years because he was unable to afford to pay $1,941 in outstanding court costs. The father of two special-needs daughters was sent behind bars by Genece Brinkley, the same Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge that was involved in Mill’s arduous decade-long battle with the legal system.
Watch #freemeek on @PrimeVideo tonight and lemme know what u think https://t.co/jz08Z5B7PW 💯 pic.twitter.com/in6ttMX7MO
— MeekMill (@MeekMill) November 10, 2019
In 2009, Hudson was convicted for serving as a lookout in a robbery and was placed on probation. Since that time, the 29-year-old has struggled to pay child support and court costs because he only earns about $600/month as a janitor. Rubin reportedly paid Hudson’s updated $2,148.59 court bill.
“I can’t understand how people can go to prison for not committing a crime,” said Rubin. “He’s a good person. He wants to be home and taking care of his kids. Instead, he’s in prison for being poor. He couldn’t pay his fines. He doesn’t have his GED and for that he’s in prison. If you are going to send people to prison, don’t send them there for the crime of being poor.”
Mill added, “Situations like this keep me grounded and focused on my mission for reform that I dedicated myself to two years ago… Seeing this man trapped behind bars gives me motivation to keep on fighting.”
Michael Rubin and Meek Mill are also co-chairman of the REFORM Alliance. Other high-profile individuals connected to the organization include CNN host Van Jones, Roc Nation owner Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and Vista Equity Partner CEO Robert Smith.
Did you know there are more than twice as many people on probation & parole than behind bars in the U.S.? When it comes to our broken justice system, mass incarceration is only the tip of the iceberg. Let’s pass smart probation laws and change the course of this Titanic crisis. pic.twitter.com/dRTwvPKEz3
— REFORM Alliance (@REFORM) November 4, 2019
Photo Credit: Shareif Ziyadat
