Remy Ma is passionate about more other than music. In a recent interview with The Fader, she opens up about her own experience behind bars, and her thoughts on the current state of the private prison system.
Back in 2008, The Bronx rapper was convicted for shooting a woman in the abdomen over $3000. As a result, Remy Ma was sentenced to eight years in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. She has been out on parole for about three years now, but her time in prison damaging to her well-being.
“I’m almost positive I have some type of PTSD,” Remy Ma stated. “Almost a decade of my life was consumed by the prison system. Of the past 15 years [as a rapper], I’ve spent most of that time in prison as opposed to the ‘free world,’ so I don’t think I’m going to forget any of the things I went through, and I still have people that I have learned to care about that are there, and will probably end up having to spend the rest of their life there.”
Remy provided details of what she witnessed during her time in prison. She was fortunate because she had a strong support system, which many of the women incarcerated with her did not have. “The backbones of these families are women because a lot of the men are either gone or in prison for that matter, so seeing these women thrown away like trash just bothered me.”
Remy Ma also shared her views on the very flawed private prison system, specifically the sentencing method. She points out some public figures like rapper Bobby Shmurda and G29 affiliate Santino Boderick who were sentenced to 117 years in prison. In Boderick’s case, he was offered a 15-year plea deal, but rejected it. Due to his decision, he was given an even harsher sentence.
“The point that sticks out to me is if you offer me 15 years, regardless of what happened at that trial do we end up at 117? How? That’s life,” Remy questioned.
America has the most people incarcerated out of every country in the entire world and Remy believes prison reform needs to take place. She even has a few ideas on where to begin.
Her first solution: “The first thing has to be the de-privatization. We have to end the private prison system,” she demanded. Secondly, she believes we should change the rules and regulations that limit convicted felons. For instance, taking away their voting rights.
“These are the people that are making the laws… And when you look at the majority of people in prisons, they’re minorities. So who is this really stopping from voting? Who is this really keeping out of certain jobs.”
