Many defendants convicted of possessing an illegal gun and drug crimes go directly to state prison. That was not the case for Mill. He received a county sentence and was allowed out on probation and to travel throughout the United States for most of the 10 years since his arrest in 2007. Probation is a pretty basic concept; you can stay out of jail but you have to obey a few basic rules. The most basic rule: Don't get arrested again! At least not while you are on probation. Mill apparently found this too difficult to observe and was arrested again — twice.