US President Trump has granted clemency to 63-year-old great grandmother Alice Johnson, who has been serving life in prison for a non-violent drug offence.
Kim Kardashian Photo: AFP / FILE
The case was highlighted last week when Kim Kardashian West met Mr Trump to lobby for her release.
Johnson was jailed in 1996 with 15 others for taking part in a cocaine distribution ring. She was convicted on charges of attempted possession of drugs and money-laundering in Tennessee. She is expected to be released soon.
The White House said she had been a model prisoner and worked hard to rehabilitate herself.
Photo: AFP
"Ms Johnson has accepted responsibility for her past behaviour and has been a model prisoner over the past two decades," the White House said in a statement.
The statement added that the administration believed in being tough on crime but believed in giving a second chance to those who tried to better themselves in prison.
Ms Kardashian West joined what has been a long-running campaign for Johnson's freedom, spearheaded by the clemency foundation CAN-DO, friends and family.
So grateful to @realDonaldTrump, Jared Kushner & to everyone who has showed compassion & contributed countless hours to this important moment for Ms. Alice Marie Johnson. Her commutation is inspirational & gives hope to so many others who are also deserving of a second chance.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 6, 2018
- BBC
