Kim Kardashian visits White House for criminal justice initiative: 'I wanted to do the right thing'

Elise Solé
Updated

Kim Kardashian is back at the White House, helping ex-prisoners get to work on time.

The reality star made another trip to the nation’s capitol to discuss the First Step Act, a prison reform law passed in December 2018 by the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives that grants reduced sentences and credits for good behavior to non-violent federal offenders.

President Trump introduced Kardashian, who was seated in-between Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, by saying the two facilitated his relationship with the reality star. “They were being pushed a little bit also by Kim Kardashian. So, thank you Kim. And Kanye.”

“I’d like to invite up a very special guest and a powerful advocate for, not only justice reform but a good person,” said Trump. “And I hear she’s starting to study law. She’s also one of the most successful people in the entertainment business. Soon, she’ll be one of the most successful lawyers...”

Kardashian, who only spoke for a few minutes, explained her role in helping ex-prisoners with their job commutes. “I’m so happy to announce today that we have a ride-share partnership where formerly-incarcerated people will be gifted gift cards so they can get rides to and from job interviews, jobs...and that is so important...”

She said her journey with criminal justice reform started about a year ago when she visited President Trump at the White House the first time around. “I pled the case of Alice Johnson, who the president granted clemency to and after that, I really spent so much time going to different prisons because I really had no connection to anyone on the inside and I just felt like for me, I am at the place in my life where I wanted to make a difference and just wanted to do the right thing, but I didn't know how or what to do it or even really what was going on.”

She continued, “And so after going to visit so many different prisons and really sitting down with 'lifers,' with every situation you can possibly imagine, my heart just completely opened up and I wanted to do more.”

Kardashian thanked President Trump for his help, noting his “compassion” for the cause.

“I think she's pretty popular, huh?" said Trump.

Jared Kushner (L), Kim Kardashian(C), and Ivanka Trump(R) and Jared Kushner attend a White House conference on prison reform. (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Jared Kushner (L), Kim Kardashian(C), and Ivanka Trump(R) and Jared Kushner attend a White House conference on prison reform. (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

In June 2018— due partly to Kardashian’s efforts — Alice Johnson, 64, a great-grandmother from Memphis, Tennessee, was released from Alabama’s Federal Correctional Institution, where she was serving a life sentence without parole for her involvement in a 1996 drug trafficking scheme.

Last month, a second prisoner named Jeffrey Stringer, was released from his life sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution-Talladega in Florida for manufacturing and possessing cocaine, reported NBC News. He had apparently served 22 years. Stringer’s family told NBC Miami that him and his family Facetimed with Kardashian right before his release.

On Thursday, Kardashian posted a video from her car, saying, “Alright guys, I’m heading to the White House to speak at the Second Chance Hiring and Re-entry event…”

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