WASHINGTON – Reality star-turned-criminal justice reform advocate Kim Kardashian West returned to the White House earlier this week to help President Donald Trump promote efforts to help those leaving prison get jobs and stay on track.
At an East Room event attended by Cabinet secretaries, activist and formerly incarcerated people yesterday, Kardashian West announced the creation of a new ride-sharing partnership with Lyft.
It will give former prisoners gift cards to help them get to and from job interviews, work and family events.
Kardashian West says everyone wants the community to be safe and the more support given to former prisoners, the safer everyone will be.
The reality star became involved with the issue after learning about the case of Alice Marie Johnson, a grandmother who was serving a life sentence without parole for drug offences.
Kardashian West successfully lobbied Trump to grant Johnson clemency and has been studying law under the tutelage of attorneys from the bipartisan criminal justice reform group #cut50 ever since.
Trump pronounced himself a fan of Kardashian West’s advocacy, praising her genes and declaring, “I guess she’s pretty popular.”
He marvelled at the passage of the First Step Act, which he signed into law late last year.
The bill — a rare bipartisan victory — included measures to reduce the sentences of thousands of prisoners and expand job training programs to decrease recidivism rates and relaxed the “three strikes” rule.
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(The Associated Press)