01of 15Helping Release Alice Johnson from a Life SentenceNBC NewsAfter discovering Johnson’s story onTwitterin October 2017, Kardashian decided to advocate on the 64-year-old great-grandmother’s behalf and ask President Trump to grant her clemency.The star spoke with White House senior advisor Jared Kushner for months about a possible pardon for Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense, and eventuallymet with President Donald Trumpat the White House to plead her case. Then on June 6, 2018, one week after Kardashian’s visit, theWhite House made a statement to announce that President Trump had commuted Johnson’s life sentence.“Ms. Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades,” the statement read.“While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance,” the statement concluded.Johnson’s case marked the first big legal win for Kardashian, who could not have been morethrilled about the amazing news. She also hadJohnson model her SKIMS Shapewear, after releasing thenew business venturein August 2019.
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Helping Release Alice Johnson from a Life Sentence
NBC News
After discovering Johnson’s story onTwitterin October 2017, Kardashian decided to advocate on the 64-year-old great-grandmother’s behalf and ask President Trump to grant her clemency.
The star spoke with White House senior advisor Jared Kushner for months about a possible pardon for Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense, and eventuallymet with President Donald Trumpat the White House to plead her case. Then on June 6, 2018, one week after Kardashian’s visit, theWhite House made a statement to announce that President Trump had commuted Johnson’s life sentence.
“Ms. Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behavior and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades,” the statement read.
“While this Administration will always be very tough on crime, it believes that those who have paid their debt to society and worked hard to better themselves while in prison deserve a second chance,” the statement concluded.
Johnson’s case marked the first big legal win for Kardashian, who could not have been morethrilled about the amazing news. She also hadJohnson model her SKIMS Shapewear, after releasing thenew business venturein August 2019.
02of 15Seeking Out New CasesE!Since her experience with Johnson, Kardashian has been determined to “fight for people who deserve a second chance.“During a May 2019 episode ofKeeping Up with the Kardashians, the star explained herprocess of selecting who she wants to support nextto momKris Jenner. She first reads over the many letters she receives from inmates asking for her help to get clemency and then, “If I see something that I feel like has a real shot and just like moves me, then I’ll send it to my attorneys who look over everything just to make sure it’s legitimate.““I told my dad years ago that I was really into criminal justice and he was like ‘This will stress you out so much, you do not really want to take this on,’ " she recalled during the episode. “I think now having gotten so deep in helpingAlice [Marie Johnson], I’m really motivated to get to know the law more and fight for people who deserve a second chance like her.”
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Seeking Out New Cases
E!
Since her experience with Johnson, Kardashian has been determined to “fight for people who deserve a second chance.”
During a May 2019 episode ofKeeping Up with the Kardashians, the star explained herprocess of selecting who she wants to support nextto momKris Jenner. She first reads over the many letters she receives from inmates asking for her help to get clemency and then, “If I see something that I feel like has a real shot and just like moves me, then I’ll send it to my attorneys who look over everything just to make sure it’s legitimate.”
“I told my dad years ago that I was really into criminal justice and he was like ‘This will stress you out so much, you do not really want to take this on,’ " she recalled during the episode. “I think now having gotten so deep in helpingAlice [Marie Johnson], I’m really motivated to get to know the law more and fight for people who deserve a second chance like her.”
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Clapping Back at Haters
Kim Kardashian West/Instagram
Kardashian did not finish college, so she has taken an non-traditional route to earn her status as a laywer. She also revealed in an interview withVoguethat she decided to begin a four-year apprenticeship with a law firm in San Francisco, with the goal of taking the bar in 2022.
“I want people to understand that there is nothing that should limit your pursuit of your dreams, and the accomplishment of new goals,” she wrote on Twitter.
“I changed my number last year and disconnected from everyone because I have made this strict commitment to follow a dream of mine,” she added. “It’s never too late to follow your dreams.”
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Gaining Support from CNN’s Van Jones
Van Jones and Kim Kardashian.Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
The host ofThe Redemption Project with Van JonestoldExtrathat Kardashian has impressed him with her passion to become a lawyer since they firstmet at the White Housein late 2018, when they were working together on criminal justice reform.
“[Kim] is so prepared, she is so passionate, she reads the letters that she gets, and is always trying to figure out how to be helpful,” Jones shared. “People forget she is the daughter of a very accomplished lawyer. She is also the mother of [then] three African-American kids, so that puts that criminal justice conversation in a different place.”
The CNN star added, “She is just extraordinary, and people are just going to have to reassess - she is not that kid that used to party with Paris Hilton.”
05of 15Helping Free Another Low-Level Drug Offender from PrisonKim Kardashian West/TwitterIn May 2019, Kardashiantweetedthe good news that she was able tohelp negotiate the release of another low-level drug offender from prisonafter he spent more than two decades behind bars.“We did it again! Had the best call w/this lovely family & my attorney @msbkb who just won release for their loved one Jeffrey in Miami,” she wrote. “He served 22 years of life sentence for low level drug case. He served too much time but it gives me so much joy to fund this life saving work.“Along with the message, Kardashian shared a photo of Jeffrey with his family.
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Helping Free Another Low-Level Drug Offender from Prison
Kim Kardashian West/Twitter
In May 2019, Kardashiantweetedthe good news that she was able tohelp negotiate the release of another low-level drug offender from prisonafter he spent more than two decades behind bars.
“We did it again! Had the best call w/this lovely family & my attorney @msbkb who just won release for their loved one Jeffrey in Miami,” she wrote. “He served 22 years of life sentence for low level drug case. He served too much time but it gives me so much joy to fund this life saving work.”
Along with the message, Kardashian shared a photo of Jeffrey with his family.
06of 15Meeting with Then-Imprisoned Slam Star Momolu StewartBlack.Angel/InstagramDuring her July 2019 visit to the District of Columbia Correctional Treatment Facility,Kardashian met with Stewart, who appeared in the 1998 movieSlam. During filming, Stewart, then 17, was an actual inmate awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder, and had just been placed in his cell. He was eventually convicted of murder, and has served 22 years in prison.After the reality star’s visit, Stewart shared a photo of the two of them with thecaption, “Making power moves from the inside with my sister @kimkardashian. My next move is even bigger, and I’m thinking five steps ahead.“The visit prompted Kardashian to write a letter to the judge on his case to request his release, which worked - Stewart’s sentence was reduced to time served and five years of probation,according toOxygen.
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Meeting with Then-Imprisoned Slam Star Momolu Stewart
Black.Angel/Instagram
During her July 2019 visit to the District of Columbia Correctional Treatment Facility,Kardashian met with Stewart, who appeared in the 1998 movieSlam. During filming, Stewart, then 17, was an actual inmate awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder, and had just been placed in his cell. He was eventually convicted of murder, and has served 22 years in prison.
After the reality star’s visit, Stewart shared a photo of the two of them with thecaption, “Making power moves from the inside with my sister @kimkardashian. My next move is even bigger, and I’m thinking five steps ahead.”
The visit prompted Kardashian to write a letter to the judge on his case to request his release, which worked - Stewart’s sentence was reduced to time served and five years of probation,according toOxygen.
07of 15Partnering with Lyft to Help Soon-to-Be Released Inmates Get to Job InterviewsSAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyAccording toTMZ, more than 5,000soon-to-be freed prisoners will receive rides from Lyftto job interviews, a cause Kardashian spoke aboutduring her June 2019 visitto the White House.A source also told the outlet that themom of four, who is in partnership with #cut50, a prison reform initiative, has “worked tirelessly on both federal and local levels to ensure inmates will be provided housing and employment opportunities.““While I have been able to offer support to some of the individuals I have met, the obstacles to success are an everyday struggle for thousands and more needs to be done,” she said after making her partnership announcement during her White House visit. “Today, I’m honored to be a part of the announcement that the administration and the private sector are stepping up to create opportunities for these men and women to succeed once home.”
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Partnering with Lyft to Help Soon-to-Be Released Inmates Get to Job Interviews
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty
According toTMZ, more than 5,000soon-to-be freed prisoners will receive rides from Lyftto job interviews, a cause Kardashian spoke aboutduring her June 2019 visitto the White House.
A source also told the outlet that themom of four, who is in partnership with #cut50, a prison reform initiative, has “worked tirelessly on both federal and local levels to ensure inmates will be provided housing and employment opportunities.”
“While I have been able to offer support to some of the individuals I have met, the obstacles to success are an everyday struggle for thousands and more needs to be done,” she said after making her partnership announcement during her White House visit. “Today, I’m honored to be a part of the announcement that the administration and the private sector are stepping up to create opportunities for these men and women to succeed once home.”
08of 15Asking Trump to Help Free A$AP Rocky During Sweden ArrestJohn Phillips/Getty;Kardashian and her husband,Kanye West, used their connections to the White House to appeal toPresident Donald Trumpabout rapperA$AP Rocky’s case amid the star’sarrest and legal investigation in Sweden, according to a source familiar with the situation.The source told PEOPLE that Kardashian reached out to the president’s son-in-law and senior advisor,Jared Kushner. West was also involved, but Kardashian was the one to make the call to the administration.“She really brought it to the forefront,” the source said. Kardashian had developed a relationship with Kushnerdue to her previous work with the White Houseon criminal justice reform.According to the source, Kushner then brought the story to the president, who agreed that “something just needed to be checked to make sure things were appropriate.” (A White House spokesman did not respond to a message about the case.)On July 19, 2019, Trump tweeted that he was going to step in to help.“Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration,” hewrote. “I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved.“By August 2019, Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, had pled not guilty in court after he was arrested in Stockholm on July 2, 2019, for suspected assault, along with three others who were involved in the incident, and was released pending the judge’s ruling. Not long after that, the rapper attended West’s August 2019 Sunday Service tothank the couple for getting involvedin his legal case.“He wanted to thank Kanye and Kim in person,” aKeeping Up with the Kardashianssource told PEOPLE.“His jail stay in Sweden was such a nightmare. He is very grateful to everyone that got involved and tried to get him released,” the source added.
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Asking Trump to Help Free A$AP Rocky During Sweden Arrest
John Phillips/Getty;
Kardashian and her husband,Kanye West, used their connections to the White House to appeal toPresident Donald Trumpabout rapperA$AP Rocky’s case amid the star’sarrest and legal investigation in Sweden, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The source told PEOPLE that Kardashian reached out to the president’s son-in-law and senior advisor,Jared Kushner. West was also involved, but Kardashian was the one to make the call to the administration.
“She really brought it to the forefront,” the source said. Kardashian had developed a relationship with Kushnerdue to her previous work with the White Houseon criminal justice reform.
According to the source, Kushner then brought the story to the president, who agreed that “something just needed to be checked to make sure things were appropriate.” (A White House spokesman did not respond to a message about the case.)
On July 19, 2019, Trump tweeted that he was going to step in to help.
“Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration,” hewrote. “I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved.”
By August 2019, Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, had pled not guilty in court after he was arrested in Stockholm on July 2, 2019, for suspected assault, along with three others who were involved in the incident, and was released pending the judge’s ruling. Not long after that, the rapper attended West’s August 2019 Sunday Service tothank the couple for getting involvedin his legal case.
“He wanted to thank Kanye and Kim in person,” aKeeping Up with the Kardashianssource told PEOPLE.
“His jail stay in Sweden was such a nightmare. He is very grateful to everyone that got involved and tried to get him released,” the source added.
09of 15Tweeting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Behalf of Rodney ReedNBC News TODAYAfter discovering Reed’s case on Twitter, Kardashian urged Texas Gov. Abbott to “do the right thing,“tweeting at himin regards to exonerating Reed afternew substantial evidenceproved that the death-row inmate was likely innocent in the 1996 Stacy Stites murder case. In addition to Kardashian, other stars, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Meek Mill and LL Cool J,spoke out on Reed’s behalfto call for a stay of Reed’s execution, which was scheduled for Nov. 20, 2019.Just five days before, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled to block Reed’s execution,according to theNew York Times. His execution is now suspended indefinitely.Kardashian was with Reedwhen he got the news.Three days later, on Nov. 18, 2019,Kardashian sat with Jenna Bush Hager onTodayto discuss the moments she shared with Reed before his life-changing news hit.“We did talk a lot about his case and how he just would love justice for him, for his family, for the victim’s family,” Kardashian said. “It’s really important to him that the scientific evidence be brought and considered heavily.““Then we talked about family, and his kids and his family and grandkids and mother and really important, special things in his life,” she added.Kardashian told Hager she was “strategic” about getting involved with Reed’s case, saying she made sure she felt confident that the case should be looked at again. When asked what Reed said after the news broke of his indefinite suspension,Kardashian said, “It was extremely emotional, and he said, ‘Praise Jesus.’ "
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Tweeting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Behalf of Rodney Reed
NBC News TODAY
After discovering Reed’s case on Twitter, Kardashian urged Texas Gov. Abbott to “do the right thing,“tweeting at himin regards to exonerating Reed afternew substantial evidenceproved that the death-row inmate was likely innocent in the 1996 Stacy Stites murder case. In addition to Kardashian, other stars, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Meek Mill and LL Cool J,spoke out on Reed’s behalfto call for a stay of Reed’s execution, which was scheduled for Nov. 20, 2019.
Just five days before, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled to block Reed’s execution,according to theNew York Times. His execution is now suspended indefinitely.Kardashian was with Reedwhen he got the news.
Three days later, on Nov. 18, 2019,Kardashian sat with Jenna Bush Hager onTodayto discuss the moments she shared with Reed before his life-changing news hit.
“We did talk a lot about his case and how he just would love justice for him, for his family, for the victim’s family,” Kardashian said. “It’s really important to him that the scientific evidence be brought and considered heavily.”
“Then we talked about family, and his kids and his family and grandkids and mother and really important, special things in his life,” she added.
Kardashian told Hager she was “strategic” about getting involved with Reed’s case, saying she made sure she felt confident that the case should be looked at again. When asked what Reed said after the news broke of his indefinite suspension,Kardashian said, “It was extremely emotional, and he said, ‘Praise Jesus.’ "
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Releasing a True Crime Documentary on the Nation’s ‘Mass Incarceration Problem’
Oxygen
The star has teamed up with Oxygen to executive produce anew documentaryabout the United States' criminal reform system. The upcoming two-hour film,Kim KardashianWest: The Justice Project, will focus on heradvocacy effortsas she visits prisons and consults with lawyers to develop strategies to free Dawn Jackson, Alexis Martin,Momolu Stewartand David Sheppard - all of whom she and legal experts believe have been unfairly sentenced. It will also follow Kardashian as she uncovers a deeper understanding of mandatory sentencing, the damaging problems of mass incarceration and the importance of educational programs and rehabilitation efforts for a successful re-entry into society.
“There are a lot of people who deserve a second chance, but many do not have the resources to make it happen,” she continued. “I want to help elevate these cases to a national level to effect change, and this documentary is an honest depiction of me learning about the system and helping bring tangible results to justice reform.”
Kim KardashianWest: The Justice Projectwill premiere Apr. 5 on Oxygen.
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Supporting Alice Johnson’s Fight to Help Release 3 Women She was Formerly Incarcerated with
“President Trump commuted the sentences of three really deserving women,” shetweeted. “I didn’t hear much about it in the news so I wanted to share with you their stores [sic]! I have the pleasure of spending the day with these women today along with @AliceMarieFree who helped to pick these women.”
Johnson alsotweetedher excitement, sharing why she chose these women and declaring her oath to help others.
Kardashian then tweeted photos and short descriptions of each of the women to highlight their cases, and concluded her string of tweets with another announcement.
“Today Alice, Crystal, Judith, Tynice and I, along with the@cut_50team will be at the White House bringing light to these women and discuss more change that our justice system desperately needs!” shewrote, before tweeting, “White House here we come!!!” with aphotoof herself and all of the women.
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Crystal Munoz
Sheadded: “Crystal case was highlighted in the First Step Act which banned the degrading and inhumane treatment of shackling female prisoners during childbirth.”
13of 15Judith NegronKim Kardashian West/Twitter"Judith Negron was sentenced to 35 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud,” Kardashiantweeted. “After trial she received the longest sentence ever given to a female for a white collar crime. A mother, she left behind two young sons. This was Judith’s first ever offense.“Sheadded: “Wardens and staff alike spoke glowingly of the incredible contributions Judith made to the prison while incarcerated.”
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Judith Negron
“Judith Negron was sentenced to 35 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud,” Kardashiantweeted. “After trial she received the longest sentence ever given to a female for a white collar crime. A mother, she left behind two young sons. This was Judith’s first ever offense.”
Sheadded: “Wardens and staff alike spoke glowingly of the incredible contributions Judith made to the prison while incarcerated.”
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Tynice Hall
“Tynice Hall was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a first time non violent drug conspiracy,” Kardashiantweeted. “Her boyfriend at the time used her house for his illegal drug activities. She was only 22 years old when she went to prison and left behind a 3 year old son.”
In separatetweet, the mom of four praised Alice Johnson again for her advocacy work, writing, “How amazing is @AliceMarieFree for being so involved and now helping to free other women!!!!”
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Warner Bros.
“OMFGGGG I PASSED THE BABY BAR EXAM!!!! Looking in the mirror, I am really proud of the woman looking back today in the reflection,” shewroteon Twitter on Dec. 13. “For anyone who doesn’t know my law school journey, know this wasn’t easy or handed to me.”
“I failed this exam 3 times in 2 years, but I got back up each time and studied harder and tried again until I did it!!! (I didhave COVIDon the 3rd try w a 104 fever but I’m not making excuses)” she continued in a lengthy thread.
source: people.com
