Kim Kardashian visited the White House on May 30 where she reportedly asked for the pardon of 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson, who is serving a life sentence in an Alabama prison.
She says she feels “hopeful” after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, about prison reform.
“Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you,” Kardashian tweeted about Johnson before the meeting. Johnson has been behind bars for more than 20 years.
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After her visit to the White House, the reality star tweeted, “I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense.”
She added: “We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson’s future and hopeful that she — and so many like her — will get a second chance at life.”
Trump tweeted a photo of himself and Kardashian in the Oval Office. “Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing,” he captioned the photo.
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During the White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders wouldn’t provide further details on who Kardashian was meeting, only saying, “She is expected to be here at the White House. I can confirm she’ll be here. We’ll keep you posted on any meetings that take place and what those look like.”
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Johnson’s story was first brought to Kardashian’s attention via Twitter, and she previously told Mic that she’d been “in communication with the White House” to also make them aware of her.
Johnson is currently serving life behind bars at the Aliceville Federal Correctional Institution in Alabama.
The meeting took place following two American criminal justice developments at the White House over the last few weeks.
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First, Trump granted a posthumous pardon to former boxing heavyweight champion Jack Johnson — the first black man to achieve that status — after his great-great niece and movie star Sylvester Stallone submitted pleas.
Secondly, the House approved the First Step Act, a legislative proposition of Kushner’s, which allows more prisoners to serve sentences in halfway houses and funds support programs to prevent recidivism.
According to the Prison Police Initiative, 2.3 million Americans are currently being held in correctional facilities, and 1 in 5 of those incarcerated people are locked up for drug offences.
—With files from Chris Jancelewicz
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