Meek Mill held a press conference in Philadephia today, his first since being released from prison over two weeks ago. Alongside Pennsylvania governor and 76ers owner Michael Rubin, a visibly nervous Mill thanked all his supporters, and supporters of others imprisoned, and told the room "it's still surreal to me to even be in this situation."
In the brief speech, he opened up about an opiate addiction he struggled with a few years ago and thanked his probation officer at the time, Kathy, for getting him the help he needed when he asked, adding that rehab "changed my life." He explained that many people on probation struggle with addiction without asking for help for fear of going to jail, and that he hopes to push a change in that area.
He also told the room that he watched the recent Starbucks situation, in which two black men in Philadelphia were arrested for standing the cafe chain while waiting on a friend, from prison with the understanding that if he'd been in the same situation while on probation, "I would have actually been found in technical violation" and place in jail legally just for coming in contact with the police.
"I was trained to think going to prison was normal," he told the crowd. "And I don't regret anything that I ever been through to put me in this situation right now, because this situation right now is history.....I'm nervous everyday being on probation....I always feel like my freedom could be taken. Someone could accuse me of something, and I could end back up in the state prison in the blink of an eye."
Watch the full conference here.