President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, and it's big news.
Less than a week after his widely criticized pardon of Dinesh D'Souza, Trump commuted the sentence of Johnson, a 63-year-old black woman whose cause was taken up by Kim Kardashian West.
Johnson has been serving a life sentence as a first-time, nonviolent drug offender, a case that many say highlights the inequality of the criminal justice system. Johnson was a central talking point for prison reform advocates — a petition asking for her clemency received more than 200,000 signatures.
<p>A week after <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/30/politics/kim-kardashian-jared-kushner-white-house/index.html" target="_blank">Kardashian West visited Trump</a> to ask for Johnson's pardon, the White House announced that Trump was commuting Johnson's case, meaning she'll soon leave prison and return to civilian life.</p><div id="22b59" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NVDADP1559350458"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1004426873030479877" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The phone call I just had with Alice will forever be one of my best memories. Telling her for the first time and he… https://t.co/ruwe4M0q8m</div> — Kim Kardashian West (@Kim Kardashian West)<a href="https://twitter.com/KimKardashian/statuses/1004426873030479877">1528309002.0</a></blockquote></div><h2>There's real momentum behind prison reform, but the work isn't over.</h2><p>At a time when Democrats and Republicans seem split on virtually every issue, the topic of prison reform is a rare case where there has been some bipartisan unity.</p><p>Of course, there's also a lot more work to be done — on both sides of the aisle.</p><div id="445c4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4MN24R1559350458"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1004405380645048322" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">There are thousands more like Alice Johnson -- people languishing in federal prisons and serving long sentences for… https://t.co/YdamQzl9WB</div> — Kristen Clarke (@Kristen Clarke)<a href="https://twitter.com/KristenClarkeJD/statuses/1004405380645048322">1528303878.0</a></blockquote></div><p>A prison sentencing reform bill <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-prison-reform-a-little-of-something-is-better-than-a-lot-of-nothing/2018/05/28/d3862c6e-605c-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html" target="_blank">recently passed</a> the Republican-controlled House but faces an uncertain future in the Senate. Meanwhile, activists <a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/06/04/trump-administration-prison-reform-first-step-act-clemency/" target="_blank">have taken considerable heat</a> for lobbying Trump directly on the issue, but they say the need for justice reform overrides partisan reservations about Trump.</p><p>There is also criticism of the current reform bill, with progressive activists split over whether it's worth supporting a flawed piece of legislation some say doesn't go far enough. Some advocates argue that "incremental progress" <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-prison-reform-a-little-of-something-is-better-than-a-lot-of-nothing/2018/05/28/d3862c6e-605c-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html?utm_term=.a70162921184" target="_blank">is worth fighting for</a>, particularly on an issue that has been stagnant for so long.</p><p><strong>Kardashian West herself acknowledged there's so much more work to be done — something she plans to stay directly involved in.</strong></p><div id="46663" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4ZA63S1559350458"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1004412177376333829" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I hope to continue this important work by working together with organizations who have been fighting this fight for… https://t.co/cnAoA7kPmY</div> — Kim Kardashian West (@Kim Kardashian West)<a href="https://twitter.com/KimKardashian/statuses/1004412177376333829">1528305498.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Still, the commuting of Johnson's sentence earned a lot of praise, even from some of Trump's biggest critics.</p><div id="858fa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4IRXF61559350458"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1004408139012296704" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I have to give credit where it’s due. First-time non violent drug offender Alice Johnson is granted clemency by… https://t.co/K1Ns8wUlD8</div> — Linda Sarsour (@Linda Sarsour)<a href="https://twitter.com/lsarsour/statuses/1004408139012296704">1528304535.0</a></blockquote></div><div id="ebc98" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="AUUFLR1559350458"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1004405213514649600" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Obama could have and should have freed Alice Johnson. He had her application for mercy on his desk. He chose not to… https://t.co/Q7wPd3tSRB</div> — Prison Culture (@Prison Culture)<a href="https://twitter.com/prisonculture/statuses/1004405213514649600">1528303838.0</a></blockquote></div><div id="c9805" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="DYCQ6G1559350458"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1004403923682242561" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Trump has been giving out pardons like beads thrown from a Mardi Gras flo… https://t.co/RM6hDszQCB</div> — Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@Ana Navarro-Cárdenas)<a href="https://twitter.com/ananavarro/statuses/1004403923682242561">1528303530.0</a></blockquote></div><h2>Kardashian West was mocked by some for her White House visit, but she was working for a good cause and deserves respect.</h2><p>In the days that followed Kardashian West's visit to the White House, both she and Trump were relentlessly mocked. </p><p>Some of that is understandable: Two reality TV stars with decidedly imperfect track records meeting to discuss a vital issue like prison reform is ... unusual. </p><p>On the other hand, Kardashian West is a major celebrity. Every decision she makes in public or private has real consequences. She took a risk to her public reputation and her financial bottom line by meeting with Trump. </p><p><strong>And now Johnson is free. No matter what you might think of Kardashian West as a celebrity, she deserves respect for that alone.</strong></p><p>Her critics should be taking notes. If you're going to engage in "Trump diplomacy," this is how it's done.</p><p>And hopefully she'll continue using her massive influence to help other people like Johnson get a second chance in life.</p>
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