In 2018, Kim Kardashian gained clemency for Alice Marie Johnson. Johnson was a first-time offender serving a life sentence without parole for a non-violent drug violation. Kardashian found the punishment to be grossly incommensurate to the crime and had her legal team petition for clemency.Â
(Kim Kardashian West Has a New Goal: to Become a Criminal Justice Lawyer)
Her success with the case fuelled her interest in law and criminal justice reform, in particular. She talked about the experience on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, explaining:Â
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. But I think now, having gotten so deep in helping Alice, I’m really motivated to get to know the law more and fight for people that deserve a second chance, like her.
Just a few days ago, the fruits of this advocacy were made visible once again. She and her legal team fought for the release of Jeffrey, another low-level drug offender unjustly handed a life sentence. After serving 22 years of his sentence, he was released.Â
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 – 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. pic.twitter.com/pbYicKmFpJ
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 3, 2019
The immediate reaction of the general public to Kim Kardashian declaring her desire to be a lawyer was to ridicule or make light of the situation. But acts like this show just how genuine her intent is, and outlines the good she may be able to do. Despite her privileged upbringing she has made it clear through these cases that she understands the intricacies of intersectionality and how it tips certain scales within the criminal justice system.Â
What do you think about this?Â
