Probation and Parole in America

Deep Dive with Laura Arnold

Each year in America, almost 350,000 people are incarcerated for some sort of violation of their probation or parole conditions. Often, these violations involve technical infractions that are as commonplace as a traffic violation but can result in multi-year prison sentences. Rap artist and activist Meek Mill is someone who knows all about the pitfalls of this particular area of the criminal justice system. Fourteen years after a questionable arrest in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mill is still trying to navigate a system that he feels places unreasonable requirements on those who are conditionally released from prison. In this episode, Mill discusses his personal experiences and what it was like to be at the center of a reform movement, and offers insight on how the current system may be improved.