Amir Junaid Muhadith, once known as Bad Boy rapper Loon has only been home from prison a few short months but he’s already helping create change for formally incarcerated individuals.
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Muhadith has teamed up with Meek Mill’s organization, REFORM Alliance, which “is committed to advancing criminal justice reform and eradicating laws and policies that perpetuate injustice in the United States,” per a press release obtained by theGrio. The former rapper will now serve as an inaugural fellow in its program designed to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society.
Muhadith was sentenced to 14 years in prison back in 2011 for “conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin,” per Revolt.
He was released back in July due to the coronavirus pandemic and with the help of the First Step Act.
Jessica Jackson, the chief advocacy officer for REFORM Alliance was a part of a team that helped Muhadith get released from prison through the Act. Jackson explains: “The act was the culmination of a bipartisan effort to improve criminal justice outcomes, as well as to reduce the size of the federal prison population while also creating mechanisms to maintain public safety,” per the Bureau of Prisons.
“Amir’s first-hand perspective and strategic thinking will be invaluable to helping us improve an ineffective and destructive supervision system,” Jackson said in the release. “In the short amount of time he’s been released, Amir has already impressed us with his ideas and commitment to creating positive change.”
Meek Mill sits as the co-chair of the organization along with fellow celebrities such as Jay- Z and Van Jones.
Muhadith says he can help the organization because he knows all too well the challenges of reentering society after serving time in prison.
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“I can personally relate to the stress of navigating life on supervision with the risk of reincarceration, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to use my experience to help REFORM and collaborate on ways to make a lasting impact on the system,” he said, per the press release. “It’s imperative that we provide people on probation with the support, training, and counseling to truly succeed rather than resort to punitive punishment.”
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