Alice Johnson’s daughter calls Kim Kardashian a ‘Godsend’

The daughter of Alice Johnson told DailyMail.com today that Kim Kardashian is a ‘Godsend’ for her mother as the reality star prepared to meet with President Trump and ask him to pardon the 63-year-old great grandmother’s life sentence for a first-time drug offense.

Catina Johnson, 45, said that she was aware that Kardashian would be heading to the White House today, where she will first meet with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss prison reform before asking the president to pardon Alice Johnson.

She told DailyMail.com: ‘Kim has given my mom so much hope. she’s has been a Godsend. God sends people into your life and for him to lead her into our lives, my mom’s life, has been a Godsend.’

Johnson (pictured) is now 21 years into her mandatory life sentence for a nonviolent drug crime

Alice Johnson’s 45-year-old daughter Catina Johnson (left) told DailyMail.com that Kim Kardashian has given her mother ‘so much hope’ as she fights to have her life sentence pardoned. Johnson (right) is now 21 years into her mandatory life sentence for a nonviolent drug crime

Alice Johnson has been fighting for clemency for years after being given a life sentence. She's pictured above center with family members, including daughters Catina (second from left) and Tretessa (right)

Alice Johnson has been fighting for clemency for years after being given a life sentence. She’s pictured above center with family members, including daughters Catina (second from left) and Tretessa (right)

Kardashian is heading to the White House today, where she will first meet with Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss prison reform before asking the president to pardon Alice Johnson

Kardashian is heading to the White House today, where she will first meet with Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss prison reform before asking the president to pardon Alice Johnson

Catina, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her children and grandchildren, said that she had not heard from Kardashian personally nor had any contact with the Trump administration about her mother’s case.

Former President Barack Obama denied Alice Johnson’s appeal for clemency during his second term, despite her exemplary conduct and achievements, and numerous letters of support.

Catina said her family was at a loss as to why Obama did not pardon her mother, when he did so many others with similar circumstances.

‘We don’t know, we still don’t know. All we know is that she was denied, that’s it. I have yet to get an explanation for that,’ Catina said.

There are no parole hearings at a federal level, so pardoning is Alice Johnson’s only hope. 

‘There is no opportunity other than Trump,’ Catina said.

The story about great-grandmother Johnson’s conviction and incarceration caught the eye of Kardashian on Twitter last year.

Ever since she has been campaigning for her release, and has been involved in months of talks with the White House.

Catina said that the public interest in her case had given her mother a great deal of hope. 

Alice Marie Johnson, a mother-of-five, grandmother-of-six and great-grandmother of one, was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine and money laundering in 1996

Alice Marie Johnson, a mother-of-five, grandmother-of-six and great-grandmother of one, was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine and money laundering in 1996

Johnson became involved in a drug syndicate that imported cocaine into Memphis, Tennessee, after a devastating few years where she was divorced, lost her youngest son in a scooter accident, and filed for bankruptcy

Johnson became involved in a drug syndicate that imported cocaine into Memphis, Tennessee, after a devastating few years where she was divorced, lost her youngest son in a scooter accident, and filed for bankruptcy

Johnson is pictured above in her younger years with her daughter Tretessa

Johnson and her daughter are pictured years later

Johnson is pictured above in her younger years. Left, she is pictured as a teen with her daughter Tretessa in her arms. Right she and her daughter are pictured years later

During her time in prison, Johnson (second from right with fellow inmates) has displayed exemplary behavior, become an ordained minister, a published writer and a prison tutor, a biography from Can Do Clemency reports

During her time in prison, Johnson (second from right with fellow inmates) has displayed exemplary behavior, become an ordained minister, a published writer and a prison tutor, a biography from Can Do Clemency reports

‘She is excited, she is hoping everything goes well. She is just praying,’ Catina said.

Alice Marie Johnson, a mother-of-five, grandmother-of-six and great-grandmother of one, was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine and money laundering in 1996. 

She was a first time offender, and sentenced to life behind bars.

The 63-year-old grew up in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and was married and pregnant by age 15.

In her mid 30s in the early 1990s, Johnson divorced her husband, lost her job at FedEx due to a gambling addiction and hit rock bottom when her youngest son, Cory, was killed in a scooter accident.

Johnson became involved in a drug syndicate that imported cocaine into Memphis, Tennessee, where she acted as a go-between and relayed messages to drug dealers, 

The Memphis woman acted as a middle man for the drug traffickers, passing on the messages in code via telephone, but claims she never sold drugs.

She was arrested along with 15 others in 1993 on charges including conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine and money laundering. 

But ten of her alleged co-conspirators turned against her in exchange for reduced sentencing or dropped charges. 

Johnson's daughters Catina (left) and Tretessa (right) have long fought for their mother's conviction to be pardoned

Johnson’s daughters Catina (left) and Tretessa (right) have long fought for their mother’s conviction to be pardoned

Catina, pictured left with Tretessa at a White House event, said that her family has suffered from Johnson's absence for the past two decades

Catina, pictured left with Tretessa at a White House event, said that her family has suffered from Johnson’s absence for the past two decades

At the time of Johnson’s February 1997 sentencing, federal laws mandated a life sentence, despite the fact Johnson was a first-time, nonviolent offender.

US District Judge Julia Gibbons, who sentenced Johnson, called the then 42-year-old the ‘quintessential entrepreneur’ of the drug ring.

‘And clearly the impact of 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine in this community is very significant,’ Gibbons said at the sentencing.

Johnson is now 21 years into her life sentence at FCI Aliceville, in Aliceville, Alabama. 

During her time in prison, Johnson has displayed exemplary behavior, become an ordained minister, a published writer and a prison tutor, a biography from Can Do Clemency reports.

Johnson is now hoping President Donald Trump will grant her freedom after being denied clemency by Obama.

Johnson is among hundreds of cases that the ACLU has taken on and she has gained the support of congressmen and women, prison advocacy groups, the African American Mayors Association, and clergy in Tennessee, Texas, and Mississippi. 

Her daughter Catina said that her family has suffered from her absence for the past two decades.

‘It’s been hard because you have deaths, birthdays, births and everything and she’s not there. She has missed all of those milestones.

‘My grandparents passed away a few years ago. Her dad passed away first and then a few years later, her mother, my grandmother, passed. She wasn’t allowed to come to their funerals.’ 

WHO IS ALICE JOHNSON AND WHY IS KIM KARDASHIAN INVOLVED?

Alice Marie Johnson, a mother-of-four and grandmother-of-six was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine and money laundering in 1996.

She was a first time offender, and sentenced to life behind bars in 1996.

Johnson, 63, became involved in a drug syndicate that imported cocaine into Memphis, Tennessee, after a devastating few years where she was divorced, lost her son in a scooter accident, and filed for bankruptcy. 

The Memphis woman acted as a middle man for the drug traffickers, passing on messages in code via telephone, but claims she never sold drugs, Mic reported.

She was arrested along with 15 others in 1993, and 10 of her alleged co-conspirators turned against her in exchange for reduced sentencing or dropped charges.  

During her time in prison, Johnson has displayed exemplary behavior, become an ordained minister, a published writer and a prison tutor, a biography from Can Do Clemency reports.

She has gained a large following of people pushing for her to be granted clemency as she is a first time, non violent offender. Part of this push saw her story turned into a short video, which went viral on social media. 

Kim Kardashian saw the video and retweeted it to her millions of followers with the caption: ‘This is so unfair’ in October last year. 

Since then, she has been working to help Johnson receive clemency from President Donald Trump.

The reality star had her personal lawyer begin working on Johnson’s case, the New York Daily News reported, and has spent months in conversation with Jared Kushner, who is a senior adviser to Trump and his son in law, on the topic. 

In late November, Johnson penned a moving letter to Kardashian, seen by TMZ, saying her efforts were ‘literally helping to save my life’.

‘I was drowning, and you have thrown me a life jacket and given me hope,’ she wrote. 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk