What does a halfway house mean? Big Meech prison sentence development explained amid major update
Big Meech has reportedly been released from prison after being charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. He has additionally gained recognition over the years as the co-founder of the Black Mafia Family, also known as BMF.
Notably, Big Meech was supposed to be released in 2026 and had been taken to community confinement, also known as halfway house. The news was revealed by a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to journalist Philip Lewis.
For the unversed, halfway house refers to a living environment that helps those individuals who are battling drug and alcohol addiction or have served a sentence. The house provides a clean environment, aiming for peer support and offering connections to services that can help in better recovery.
The houses can be found around the residential spots of the United States and they have staff members.
Living arrangements are usually different, with a few of them having separate bedrooms that need to be shared by multiple people and others featuring huge rooms for several residents.
The houses also have certain rules, including that people are not allowed to use drugs and other kinds of items that could lead to an addiction. The houses do not allow physical or verbal disputes inside and a few of them offer employment with wages.
Big Meech's attorney shared a statement related to his release
Also known as Demetrius Flenory, he was sentenced in 2008 and is supposed to remain at the halfway house before being released in the upcoming year. Meech was originally serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Coleman, as per All Hip Hop.
While speaking to Brown Girl Grinding's Loren Lorosa, Big Meech's lawyer Brittany K. Barnett addressed her happiness regarding his release, saying that he worked on his "personal growth and transformation" while he was in prison.
Brittany said that Meech has been inside for almost two decades, adding that there are many others "trapped inside." She continued by saying:
"We need to push for real change, for a justice system that recognizes the dignity and potential for redemption in every individual. Our commitment to challenging the injustices that still exist within the criminal legal system remains unwavering."
On the other hand, well-known faces have reacted to Flenory's release through social media platforms. This includes Sexyy Red, who reshared a post by Say Cheese DGTL on X and wrote:
"Where da welcome home party @ I'm trona perform for da freeski."
Big Meech's attorney was seeking sentence reduction earlier this year
Back in January 2024, Brittany applied a petition seeking for Flenory's early release. The attorney stated in the legal documents that he could be released earlier, citing Amendment 821 of the United States Criminal Code, as per The Detroit News.
Brittany even said in a statement that Big Meech has been supporting the "regular focus groups" through self-help books, leaving a positive impact on the mental health of other inmates. She continued:
"Federal Bureau of Prisons (B.O.P.) staff observed that 'Flenory has displayed a dedication to remaining physically fit and has taken it upon himself to lead and teach exercise classes to other inmates."
The original sentencing for Big Meech was 30 years, which emerged out of being convicted for operating a criminal enterprise and laundering money.
All Hip Hop states that he earned around $270 million with drug sales that date back to the '90s.
However, the sentence was decreased to 324 months from 360 in 2021 based on USSG amendments 782 and 788, bringing some changes to the charges related to drug quantity and chemical quantity tables.
Big Meech and his brother Terry Flenory also appealed for compassionate release the previous year, claiming that COVID-19 could have a bad impact on their health condition.
Although Terry was granted home confinement, the same was dismissed for Meech four times.