With Second Chance Month in full swing, the family of incarcerated rapper Fetty Wap is speaking out louder than ever in a heart-wrenching request for the rapper’s early release. The hitmaker, whose legal name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was sentenced to six years in prison in 2023 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Now, more than halfway through serving his sentence, his sister, Divinity Maxwell-Butts, is taking to the public to call for justice to be paired with compassion.
In an impassioned Instagram post, Divinity implored the justice system to show mercy, insisting that Fetty Wap’s punishment should no longer eclipse his growth. Her message, posted with the hashtags #PardonFetty, #SecondChanceMonth, and #BringHimHome, quickly attracted the interest of fans and reform advocacy types alike. “April is Second Chance Month – a time to recognize that people deserve redemption, not just punishment,” she wrote. “My brother has taken responsibility and served over half his sentence for a nonviolent offense. He is scheduled to be released in 2027, but justice should also mean mercy. His sentence should be commuted so he can come home to his family, his children, and his purpose. It’s time.”
Check out this article: Kanye West Claims Record-Breaking $200K Monthly Child Support To Kim Kardashian
The plea underscores a growing sense among advocates of criminal justice reform that rehabilitation, as opposed to retribution, should be the guiding principle of sentencing, particularly in the case of nonviolent drug offenders. Divinity’s message is not only a plea for her brother’s freedom but a broader call to reconsider how America deals with incarcerated people who’ve already proven they are capable of accountability and change. While Fetty Wap remains in prison, his influence lives on. The rapper is able to find viral fame thanks to TikTok, on which his music lingers in the minds of millions of fans. Even from behind bars, his continued relevance points to the potential that waits on the prison side of the walls, a talent that can be better utilized outside the walls and in the community.
For Divinity and the Maxwell family, the campaign is about more than stardom or fame but fatherhood, family, and humanity. Fetty Wap is a father, a brother, and a son whose cherished absence is deeply felt by his family and friends. The call for his release also echoes a national conversation about sentencing reform. And nonviolent drug offenses continue to fill American prisons, disproportionately impacting communities of color and often resulting in long sentences that do little to foster long-term rehabilitation.
With Second Chance Month hoping to bring attention to stories of redemption, Fetty Wap’s could symbolize accountability paired with opportunity, not simply more time behind bars. Divinity hopes her brother’s story will remind the public that change is real and that returning citizens should be welcomed with resources rather than further obstructions. Willis’s message spread like wildfire across social media, and fans have reposted her request and even used hashtags to raise awareness for the movement. For now, the world watches and waits, hoping that the system will respond with understanding and that Fetty Wap will soon walk out of prison and back into the arms of his family.
