Meek Mill calls from jail to speak at rally on criminal justice reform

Philly rapper Meek Mill made a surprise call from jail on Tuesday to speak at the “Reform: Bringing Injustice to Light” forum at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mill, 30, was sentenced in November to up to four years stemming from a probation violation in a controversial case that’s received national attention.

His mother, Kathy Williams, held up his picture onstage in front of an audience of 2,000 with #freemeekmill in the background.

“I wanted to say that I appreciate all the love and the support from the people of Philadelphia and all over the world,” said Mill after he called his lawyer, Joe Tacopina. “I think it is about time Pennsylvania had some type of light shined on the system . . . I am actually caught up in the system — it is not just myself but a bunch of other young men and older men, and it is kind of hard to get out of it. I have been on probation since I was 18 years old . . . I am back in a state prison due to a few small minor mistakes.”

It was the first time Mill’s made any statements since his sentencing.

At the rally, among a group of activists, attorneys, academics and Mill supporters including friends and family, was the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Celebrities, including Jay-Z, Kevin Hart and T.I., as well as the Philadelphia Eagles, have lent support to a campaign for Mill’s release after he violated probation by popping wheelies on a dirt bike in Manhattan and getting into an altercation at St. Louis International Airport, neither of which resulted in charges.

“How can you be on probation for a decade for a crime you committed when you were a teenager, and that you did the time for?” Tacopina asked.