Alice Marie Johnson is a senior fellow with the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Right on Crime initiative.
Alice grew up in Olive Branch, Mississippi. She was a longtime resident of Memphis, Tennessee but she currently resides in Chandler, Arizona.
In 1996, Alice was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence plus 25 years without the possibility of parole for her role in a nonviolent federal drug case. This was her first and only conviction ever. Her story received world-wide attention when reality star and business mogul, Kim Kardashian West advocated for her release from prison. On June 6, 2018, President Donald J. Trump granted clemency to Alice Marie Johnson and the world watched as she ran across the street into the arms of her family.
During her nearly 22 years of incarceration, Johnson accomplished what has been termed as “extraordinary rehabilitation”. She received numerous certifications that included Pastoral Counseling, Electrical 1, Office Proficiency, Hospice Care, and Personal Fitness Trainer. While in prison, Johnson became renowned as a gifted playwright. She was ordained as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Alice Marie Johnson was an invited guest of President Trump at his State of the Union Address in February 2019 where she received a resounding bipartisan standing ovation. She was honored as one of four women designated as a “Women’s Right Defender” at the United Nations on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2019. Alice Marie Johnson was also honored along with Kim Kardashian West and Shawn Holly with the 2019 CAOC Advocate for Justice Award.
She has appeared on numerous media outlets advocating for criminal justice reform. She has been a featured speaker/panelist at many events since receiving clemency which include colleges and universities, churches, summits, Google, YouTube, Essence Festival, and the National Civil Rights Museum. She was featured in the November 2019 issue of Essence magazine.
Alice Marie Johnson has been deemed a “catalyst” for the successful passage of the First Step Act. Since being granted clemency, she has steadfastly committed herself to continue to fight for criminal justice reform and for the women and men who are still incarcerated.
Alice Marie Johnson is a published author with her memoir, After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom, published on May 21, 2019. She is a proud mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.