Jay-Z and Meek Mill have formed a criminal justice reform organisation

Rappers Jay-Z and Meek Mill, along with several other leaders in sport and entertainment, have announced the establishment of the REFORM alliance, an organisation that will strive to bring changes to the criminal justice system in America.

The organisation is led by a diverse collection of individuals from various backgrounds, including political activist Van Jones, who served as Barack Obama's Special Adviser for Green Jobs; Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin; businessman and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; and Brooklyn Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai, among others.

Taking to Twitter yesterday, REFORM announced that it had formed "to give voice to the voiceless," and to fight "the horrific injustice we’re seeing in America."

We are bringing together leaders in business, government, entertainment, sports, technology, art, and culture to give voice to the voiceless. We won’t stop until we’ve changed the laws, policies, and practices that perpetuate the horrific injustice we’re seeing in America.

— REFORM Alliance (@REFORM) January 23, 2019

The organisation was inspired by Meek Mill's probation and sentencing issues, which revealed major flaws in the American criminal justice system. The rapper was sentence to two-to-four years in prison in 2017 on parole violation charges, stemming from a case that occurred 11 years ago.

However, the behaviour and actions of the judge who presided over his case, Judge Brinkley, caused considerable controversy in the aftermath of the ruling.

Meek's attorney, Joe Tacopina, told Billboard in November 2017 that the judge crossed the line "of professionalism and traditional conduct" by making "the request that Meek Mill re-record ... Boyz II Men's song 'On Bended Knee.'" Tacopina also claimed that Brinkley asked Meek to mention her "by name" in the recording.

Brinkley's decision was eventually overruled in 2018 by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, who cited issues relating to the credibility of the police officer involved in the original 2008 charge.

In a statement posted to Twitter by the record label Roc Nation, Meek said: "A lot of people stood up for me, stood in the rain and vouched for me. I really wanted to give back to those people."

Van Jones, who previously appeared in 13th, Ava DuVernay's documentary about the over-incarceration of minorities in America, will serve as REFORM's CEO. The organisation's founders have already pledged $50 million to launch the project.