Alice Marie Johnson

Alice Marie Johnson, born on May 30, 1955, in Mississippi, grew up as one of nine children to sharecroppers. Her early life included becoming a mother as a teenager and later working as a secretary for ten years at FedEx. A series of personal hardships, including job loss due to a gambling addiction, a divorce, and the death of her youngest son in a motorcycle accident, led her to involvement in illegal activities. In 1996, Johnson was convicted of several federal criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking organization, including conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, attempted possession of cocaine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and structuring monetary transactions. She was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 1997. During her incarceration, she became a grandmother and great-grandmother. She maintained good behavior and became a certified hospice worker at Federal Medical Center, Carswell, and later at FCI Aliceville.

While imprisoned, Johnson participated in a videoconferencing program in 2016, which allowed her to be interviewed by _Mic_, bringing her case to public attention. She also used Skype to speak at institutions like Hunter College and Yale, advocating for criminal justice reform. Her application for clemency was initially denied during the Obama administration. However, a campaign involving the American Civil Liberties Union and _Mic_, along with advocacy from Kim Kardashian and Jared Kushner, led to President Donald Trump commuting her sentence on June 6, 2018. Johnson was released after serving 21 years. In 2019, she was a guest of President Trump at the State of the Union Address, receiving a standing ovation. On August 28, 2020, following her speech at the Republican National Convention, Trump granted her a full pardon, pardoning all convictions against her.

Since her release, Johnson has devoted her life to advocating for criminal justice reform, drawing on her personal experiences. She has called for an end to mandatory sentencing and has met with public officials, including Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee (2019), to promote prisoner education, reduce reentry barriers, and address cash bail system concerns. Johnson also highlights the importance of including female voices in criminal justice reform discussions. In May 2019, her memoir, “After Life: My Journey From Incarceration To Freedom,” co-written with Nancy French, was published by HarperCollins, featuring a foreword by Kim Kardashian. In February 2025, she was appointed as the White House’s first “Pardon Czar” during Trump’s second term, a role in which she recommends clemency for other prisoners and identifies individuals who have been victims of “lawfare.”