Meek Mill had some words to say about the body cam footage of corrections officers fatally assaulting a man while in custody.
On Monday, Meek hopped on his X page to reflect on the troubling video of a group of corrections officers attacking and choking Robert Brooks, an inmate at a prison in upstate New York. The footage shows officers holding Brooks down, who is in handcuffs, while two other officers punch and kick him as he lies semi-conscious.
It’s unclear what led to the assault, but Meek let his followers know the attack is something that usually happens when people are in custody and there are no cameras around.
“I never fully watched this til today … this what it is for Black men in America if you get caught without them cameras around,” Meek tweeted. “If you been to jail b4 you seen this with your own eyes!”
According to legal documents, the incident occurred on Dec. 10 at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, New York. New York State Attorney General Letitia James released the bodycam footage on Friday, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Saturday that a full investigation into the death of Brooks is underway and asked officials to fire 14 officers who were involved in attacking him.
Meek is no stranger to prison and social justice reform. In 2019, the Philly native teamed up with JAY-Z, Michael Rubin, Robert Kraft, and more to launch the REFORM Alliance. The nonprofit organization was created to help push probation, parole, and sentencing reform across the country through legislation and lobbying.
REFORM has made leaps and bounds in social justice activism, helping pass legislation in various states. The organization also greatly helped prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing 12.5 million masks and personal protective equipment to inmates and correctional officers.
In October, REFORM passed a historic global resolution with the United Nations to protect the rights of people who are leaving prison and are on either probation or parole.