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After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom
Foreword by Kim Kardashian West The true-life story of the woman whose life sentence for non-violent drug trafficking was commuted by President Donald Trump thanks to the efforts of Kim Kardashian West—an inspiring memoir of faith, hope, mercy, and gratitude. How do you hold on to hope after more than twenty years of imprisonment? For Alice Marie Johnson the answer lies with God. For years, Alice lived a normal life without a criminal record—she was a manager at FedEx, a wife, and a mother. But after an emotionally and financially tumultuous period in her life left her with few options, she turned to crime as a way to pay off her mounting debts. Convicted in 1996 for her nonviolent involvement in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization, Alice received a life sentence under the mandatory sentencing laws of the time. Locked behind bars, Alice looked to God. Eventually becoming an ordained minister, she relied on her faith to sustain hope over more than two decades—until 2018, when the president commuted her sentence at the behest of Kim Kardashian West, who had taken up Alice’s cause. In this honest, faith-driven memoir, Alice explains how she held on to hope and gave it to others, from becoming a playwright to mentoring her fellow prisoners. She reveals how Christianity and her unshakeable belief in God helped her persevere and inspired her to share her faith in a video that would go viral—and come to the attention of celebrities who were moved to action. Today, Alice is an icon for the prison reform movement and a humble servant who embraces gratitude and God for her freedom. In this powerful book, she recalls all of the firsts she has experienced through her activism and provides an authentic portrait of the crisis that is mass incarceration. Linking social justice to spiritual faith, she makes a persuasive and poignant argument for justice that transcends tribal politics. Her story is a beacon in the darkness of despair, reminding us of the power of redemption and the importance of making second chances count.
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First published May 21, 2019
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About the author
Alice Marie Johnson
2 books9 followersAlice Marie Johnson was convicted for nonviolent drug trafficking in Memphis, Tennessee. After serving twenty-one years, her life sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump, with the help of Kim Kardashian West. An ordained minister, mother, and great-grandmother, she looks forward to sharing her inspirational story and the faith that helped her through it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 3, 2023
I never thought I’d read a book with a foreword by Kim Kardashian – but here we are.
In 1996, Alice Marie Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in a cocaine trafficking ring. 21 years later, she was granted clemency by then-US President Donald Trump. My interest in reading After Life came from having a pen-pal in the same facility as Alice during her incarceration.
The book was strongest when depicting her life before prison. It opened my eyes to an entirely different world. From picking cotton in 1950s Mississippi, to becoming a teen mother and being subjected to forced marriage. It was heartbreaking stuff - particularly the depictions of racial tension and segregation of the era (the local dentist was known for watering down the painkillers when treating members of the black community!)
It’s quickly apparent this is a Christian book, with this element often unrelenting. In many ways, it was remarkable how Alice's faith helped her cope with life behind bars, with both staff and inmates often commenting:
“You don’t act like a person with a life sentence.”
But it was this faith that started to take over the book. Instead of delving deeper into prison life, or analysing events on a more intimate level, they were interpreted through her faith and the Bible. It started to become rather preachy.
Despite this, After Life is immensely readable, if at times frustrating. It seems toxic men and frequent poor decision-making largely contributed to Alice’s circumstances – such is the case with many incarcerated. The American justice system is laid out for what it is too – immensely flawed. The depiction of her court case was anxiety-inducing in its unjust, terrifying portrayal.
If you’re reading this to learn more about prison life, you will probably be disappointed. She doesn’t delve too deeply into it, though it’s understandably challenging to condense twenty years into one section of a book. It takes 250 pages for some of her prison friends to be mentioned. The majority of prison chapters are taken up with her legal fights for clemency, her involvement in Christian groups and how she missed family (but relied on her faith for hope). The sections depicting the Aliceville tornado were both gripping and sad. Her release was heart-warming, albeit dramatically different (media and celebrity circus) to the average inmate experience.
Forgiveness appeared to be a large part of her ability to stay positive about life in prison.
“Bitterness was causing my soul to rot. Through unforgiveness, I was giving my past and others power over me.”
I found her time as hospice volunteer to dying inmates particularly touching. Reading about the death of her son, Coco, broke my heart. I came to really admire Alice for all she has been through and the way she has dealt with life’s challenges – even if the religion aspect was a little overdone. Nancy French was able to capture Alice’s voice quite effectively.
After Life is a quick read, albeit with a heavy dose of religion in place of substance. Alice continues to dedicate herself to criminal justice reform.
“No matter the circumstances, your past and present do not have to be your future, as long as you believe.”
In 1996, Alice Marie Johnson was sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in a cocaine trafficking ring. 21 years later, she was granted clemency by then-US President Donald Trump. My interest in reading After Life came from having a pen-pal in the same facility as Alice during her incarceration.
The book was strongest when depicting her life before prison. It opened my eyes to an entirely different world. From picking cotton in 1950s Mississippi, to becoming a teen mother and being subjected to forced marriage. It was heartbreaking stuff - particularly the depictions of racial tension and segregation of the era (the local dentist was known for watering down the painkillers when treating members of the black community!)
It’s quickly apparent this is a Christian book, with this element often unrelenting. In many ways, it was remarkable how Alice's faith helped her cope with life behind bars, with both staff and inmates often commenting:
“You don’t act like a person with a life sentence.”
But it was this faith that started to take over the book. Instead of delving deeper into prison life, or analysing events on a more intimate level, they were interpreted through her faith and the Bible. It started to become rather preachy.
Despite this, After Life is immensely readable, if at times frustrating. It seems toxic men and frequent poor decision-making largely contributed to Alice’s circumstances – such is the case with many incarcerated. The American justice system is laid out for what it is too – immensely flawed. The depiction of her court case was anxiety-inducing in its unjust, terrifying portrayal.
If you’re reading this to learn more about prison life, you will probably be disappointed. She doesn’t delve too deeply into it, though it’s understandably challenging to condense twenty years into one section of a book. It takes 250 pages for some of her prison friends to be mentioned. The majority of prison chapters are taken up with her legal fights for clemency, her involvement in Christian groups and how she missed family (but relied on her faith for hope). The sections depicting the Aliceville tornado were both gripping and sad. Her release was heart-warming, albeit dramatically different (media and celebrity circus) to the average inmate experience.
Forgiveness appeared to be a large part of her ability to stay positive about life in prison.
“Bitterness was causing my soul to rot. Through unforgiveness, I was giving my past and others power over me.”
I found her time as hospice volunteer to dying inmates particularly touching. Reading about the death of her son, Coco, broke my heart. I came to really admire Alice for all she has been through and the way she has dealt with life’s challenges – even if the religion aspect was a little overdone. Nancy French was able to capture Alice’s voice quite effectively.
After Life is a quick read, albeit with a heavy dose of religion in place of substance. Alice continues to dedicate herself to criminal justice reform.
“No matter the circumstances, your past and present do not have to be your future, as long as you believe.”
May 31, 2019
I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Books) in exchange for an honest review.
Going into this book, I didn’t know that much about Alice. All I knew was that she was serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offense and that Kim Kardashian helped her get commuted. When I saw this was available to review I immediately jumped on it because I wanted to learn more about her.
Alice’s story is incredible. She truly is an amazing woman and a force to be reckoned with. Her attitude towards life is so admirable.
I loved that she told her whole story, starting from when she was a kid. It was fascinating learning about her upbringing, her not-so-great choices that lead her to commit the crime, her trial (which had so many things wrong with it), and her life after her conviction.
The writing style of the book was wonderful. It felt very conversational. It was like Alice was sitting down with you telling her story. When I got to the end, I felt like I was friends with Alice. She was so open about her experiences without being melodramatic.
The subject matter of the book is so timely. America is in dire need of criminal justice reform and I hope this book can help inspire change by putting a face to the problem. There are so many people like Alice currently sitting in our system.
Overall, this is a powerful book. It touches upon many themes such as family, faith, and life behind bars. Thank you Alice for sharing your story with the world and inspiring others. Also, kudos to Kim Kardashian West for her role in helping free Alice. Kim gets a lot of hate for various things but you can’t deny her role in this.
Going into this book, I didn’t know that much about Alice. All I knew was that she was serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offense and that Kim Kardashian helped her get commuted. When I saw this was available to review I immediately jumped on it because I wanted to learn more about her.
Alice’s story is incredible. She truly is an amazing woman and a force to be reckoned with. Her attitude towards life is so admirable.
I loved that she told her whole story, starting from when she was a kid. It was fascinating learning about her upbringing, her not-so-great choices that lead her to commit the crime, her trial (which had so many things wrong with it), and her life after her conviction.
The writing style of the book was wonderful. It felt very conversational. It was like Alice was sitting down with you telling her story. When I got to the end, I felt like I was friends with Alice. She was so open about her experiences without being melodramatic.
The subject matter of the book is so timely. America is in dire need of criminal justice reform and I hope this book can help inspire change by putting a face to the problem. There are so many people like Alice currently sitting in our system.
Overall, this is a powerful book. It touches upon many themes such as family, faith, and life behind bars. Thank you Alice for sharing your story with the world and inspiring others. Also, kudos to Kim Kardashian West for her role in helping free Alice. Kim gets a lot of hate for various things but you can’t deny her role in this.
August 10, 2022
I think this was a good read relatively speaking. I'm going to give it an honest review because it deserves it. It invoked some thinking from me, because it's a personal story and had elements that have affected my life.
The outline of the story supercedes the detail. Like with books about the Civil War, Holocaust, Potato Famine, etc. there is a large part of the story already there. A woman goes to jail for a drug crime and gets out of jail because a celebrity takes interest in her. Everyone loves a hopeful story, bad turned good and everyone's content. There's good writing in the book definitely just not enough. I wanted more detail. How do you write a book about spending such a large amount of time in jail and write very little about the going-ons of the jail? I guess I was hoping it'd be more in the lines of The Mars Room or Orange Is The New Black.
Something that irked me a little was when she spoke of "ghost drugs". She makes the point repeatedly that ghost drugs were used against her to an exaggeration in her trial. In that same vein of thought though, think of where drugs can end up, if there's no way of tracing all of it to prove her guilt, to the extent of her charges, there was a large enough amount that it was untraceable. She COULD have been responsible for overdoses, people overdose all the time AND drugs ruin many lives without even going as far as a overdose. Statistics are a good source of proof but limited to the actual damage hard drugs do. No matter how much she trafficked, it only takes one time to wreck havoc.
I knew someone who died from a overdose, it is easy to see these truths if you care to look, that down the line people are responsible. The most widely used defense in a court of law is to play dumb, and the worst. That said she did her time without doubt. I believe she is truly sorry for her choices that led her into crime. Twenty years isn't a stroll in the park.
Maybe you will read this and think I'm nitpicking and that's fine, a review is only that and I don't have a published book under my belt. I think it was amazingly courageous of her to write her experience *though*, and, *maybe* suger coating it was the only way she was able to share it. Sugar coating in reference to God is lame, but it's all I have at the moment. I love God and who the author is not.
If she ever writes a book again, I might read it. But I doubt she will. Memoirs are usually a one time thing, and I hope she's grateful she got out. Many with a gram of weed just smoking themselves are in there. Ask Willie Nelson.
[3 stars to 2 one year later approximately. I donated this book too.]
The outline of the story supercedes the detail. Like with books about the Civil War, Holocaust, Potato Famine, etc. there is a large part of the story already there. A woman goes to jail for a drug crime and gets out of jail because a celebrity takes interest in her. Everyone loves a hopeful story, bad turned good and everyone's content. There's good writing in the book definitely just not enough. I wanted more detail. How do you write a book about spending such a large amount of time in jail and write very little about the going-ons of the jail? I guess I was hoping it'd be more in the lines of The Mars Room or Orange Is The New Black.
Something that irked me a little was when she spoke of "ghost drugs". She makes the point repeatedly that ghost drugs were used against her to an exaggeration in her trial. In that same vein of thought though, think of where drugs can end up, if there's no way of tracing all of it to prove her guilt, to the extent of her charges, there was a large enough amount that it was untraceable. She COULD have been responsible for overdoses, people overdose all the time AND drugs ruin many lives without even going as far as a overdose. Statistics are a good source of proof but limited to the actual damage hard drugs do. No matter how much she trafficked, it only takes one time to wreck havoc.
I knew someone who died from a overdose, it is easy to see these truths if you care to look, that down the line people are responsible. The most widely used defense in a court of law is to play dumb, and the worst. That said she did her time without doubt. I believe she is truly sorry for her choices that led her into crime. Twenty years isn't a stroll in the park.
Maybe you will read this and think I'm nitpicking and that's fine, a review is only that and I don't have a published book under my belt. I think it was amazingly courageous of her to write her experience *though*, and, *maybe* suger coating it was the only way she was able to share it. Sugar coating in reference to God is lame, but it's all I have at the moment. I love God and who the author is not.
If she ever writes a book again, I might read it. But I doubt she will. Memoirs are usually a one time thing, and I hope she's grateful she got out. Many with a gram of weed just smoking themselves are in there. Ask Willie Nelson.
[3 stars to 2 one year later approximately. I donated this book too.]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2019
This is a fantastic book- probably the best I have read this year by a long shot, maybe the last several years. Autobiography/biography books are hit or miss for me, mostly because they seem unbalanced or not compelling- too much childhood/too much ‘extra’ stuff that is not relevant (it’s not clear what is important, what will stand the test of time, or appeasing someone and not contributing to the story, etc.). It was very well-written, progressed naturally, and was suspenseful enough it was hard to put down (even though it was clear what would happen from the very beginning). What was most compelling about this story was how it seems like it could happen to anyone- especially starting with teen pregnancy. Then followed by financial ruin, misdirection in life. These are incredibly timeless and relevant themes in addition to the very prominent need for prison reform. But much like the argument about abortion, I think the most important point is how to stop the mistake that landed the person in financial ruin in the first place. Alice clearly had tremendous potential from the beginning, but lack of direction and life circumstances derailed her entire life. And then there was the serious flaws in the justice system- so heartbreaking! To be at the mercy of a terrible lawyer, witnesses trying to cut their own deals, and an unsympathetic judge- it was just awful. It was refreshing to see Kim Kardashian’s tireless efforts to free Alice- what a great example of a celebrity using her spotlight to do great things for others. I even felt a little pride in President Trump, and that is really saying something. I hope even people who don’t think highly of those two will consider this book, because it is so much more than two polarizing celebrities.
January 26, 2021
wow! what a story. Alice Johnson was sentenced to life imprisonment for a non violent drug related crime after an appalling trial. After serving more than 20 years, Kim Kardashian campaigned to have her released by asking Donald Trump to agree to clemency. This story is so much more than a Kardashian publicity stunt. I was truly engrossed in the story of Alice and had to keep reminding myself it was true. I highly recommend this book.
October 30, 2019
Alice Marie Johnson was a manager at FedEx, a wife, and a mother. Then after a financially difficult time, she became involved in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization by making phone calls. She received a life sentence for a nonviolent crime.
I worked at a federal prison for twelve years during the time Alice would have been spending her time in prison. After listening to many inmates, and doing research myself, I learned that the "war on drugs" was not right. Mandatory minimums took common sense out of the justice department and tied the hands of judges. I saw a lot of men, especially black men, come into the system with nonviolence offenses and wondered why.
I shed tears throughout many parts of the book, especially when Alice was released. She should have never been given a life sentence. It was wrong. I'm happy that President Trump is beginning to correct the wrongs of our past. Politicians wanting to get elected chose the campaign of war on drugs, tough on crime. It sounds good but when one looks at what was really happening, they'd see the injustice.
I worked at a federal prison for twelve years during the time Alice would have been spending her time in prison. After listening to many inmates, and doing research myself, I learned that the "war on drugs" was not right. Mandatory minimums took common sense out of the justice department and tied the hands of judges. I saw a lot of men, especially black men, come into the system with nonviolence offenses and wondered why.
I shed tears throughout many parts of the book, especially when Alice was released. She should have never been given a life sentence. It was wrong. I'm happy that President Trump is beginning to correct the wrongs of our past. Politicians wanting to get elected chose the campaign of war on drugs, tough on crime. It sounds good but when one looks at what was really happening, they'd see the injustice.
September 27, 2020
An amazing book and what a journey. As much as I have difficulty with President Trump, his clemency of the author and the change of law; I am thankful.
January 27, 2023
Faith
When a mother is raising children and struggling to do so, she'll take on whatever she has to to make ends meet. Unfortunately for Alice, her very small role in an operation turned her world upside down in a very big way. I loved the way she so intricately describes her life before and while in prison. I was shocked by how callous and harsh the justice system treated her during trial. I was flabbergasted at her sentence. But most of all I was completely astonished by her unwavering faith. Her family stuck by her side, she made a difference in so many incarcerated women's lives, and she accomplished so much. She truly deserved to have all of the people fighting for her who could possibly make a difference in her sentence. Although I will always question why Barack Obama denied her pardon three times when she not only met but exceeded the requirements I do believe everything happens when it's supposed to happen. I am truly happy for Alice, and I enjoyed reading her story full of hop faith.
When a mother is raising children and struggling to do so, she'll take on whatever she has to to make ends meet. Unfortunately for Alice, her very small role in an operation turned her world upside down in a very big way. I loved the way she so intricately describes her life before and while in prison. I was shocked by how callous and harsh the justice system treated her during trial. I was flabbergasted at her sentence. But most of all I was completely astonished by her unwavering faith. Her family stuck by her side, she made a difference in so many incarcerated women's lives, and she accomplished so much. She truly deserved to have all of the people fighting for her who could possibly make a difference in her sentence. Although I will always question why Barack Obama denied her pardon three times when she not only met but exceeded the requirements I do believe everything happens when it's supposed to happen. I am truly happy for Alice, and I enjoyed reading her story full of hop faith.
June 10, 2019
I enjoyed Alice's book but would have enjoyed it more if Eric and Barack had been her saviors instead of Kim, Jared, Ivanka, and Donald. Actually, I like Kim K and her family (in fact, I like them more than I do husband Kanye), who are compassionate narcissists instead of sadistic, narcissistic bigots like Trump. Even Jared and Ivanka might have genuinely been supportive of Alice and the cause of saving Americans who have been buried alive in our prisons after committing nonviolent crimes. But racist, narcissistic, sadistic Trump was at best responding to Kanye and Kim because they are celebrities and at worst trolling his equally racist and almost as despicable former attorney general Jeff Sessions, who wanted to lock up more people, especially black ones, when he pardoned a black woman in November, 2018. This book not only shows how easily a black woman can lose her way and her life even when she's charismatic, talented, ambitious, and a born leader but also how charismatic, ambitious, talented leaders will find a way to lead no matter what their circumstances and where they are. Alice Johnson is more admirable than any of the people who saved her. She's about 10,000 times more admirable than the man who was given the power to determine her fate. What an absurd world we live in where a racist maniac like Donald John Trump can determine the fate of an extraordinary woman like Alice Marie Johnson just because she was born black, female, and poor, and he was born white, male, and rich !
May 25, 2019
I know one of her sisters. I've met others. I heard her voice telling her life story and the joy of freedom she has had...so far! Thank you for sharing. Thank you for showing the example, of no matter where you are, God has a plan. His plan may not be yours. Follow His word and good will be shown. Hopefully, it will not take 20+ years. Alice, again thank you for sharing. I read this in about a day...had to find out what was next and how you made it through. Whew! and Yeah, your free! Know your blessings to others have been and will be a lesson to all. May God continue to show you life and light as a beacon to His Word.
October 30, 2019
She certainly deserved clemency, I just wish President Obama had been the one to issue it. Trump turned it into a publicity stunt to reward the two creepiest people in Hollywood. Just look at his snarky smile in the photograph in the book. It’s all about him, not her. But she’s free and that’s what really matters.
She made many poor decisions on the outside, but made a whole new life for herself on the inside. Her faith and good works were inspiring.
PS - Erin Burnett of CNN is beautiful. Kim Kardashian looks like a two bit tramp from head to toe. Don’t even start me on Kanye West.............
She made many poor decisions on the outside, but made a whole new life for herself on the inside. Her faith and good works were inspiring.
PS - Erin Burnett of CNN is beautiful. Kim Kardashian looks like a two bit tramp from head to toe. Don’t even start me on Kanye West.............
May 27, 2019
Heartwarming
This is an inspirational novel. Faith without work is death and you put your Faith to work. Your trial became a testimony and thank you for sharing it. May God continue to bless you!
This is an inspirational novel. Faith without work is death and you put your Faith to work. Your trial became a testimony and thank you for sharing it. May God continue to bless you!
June 25, 2019
This women faith just blew me away!
September 23, 2019
It's great to know how a woman, who as many people have been getting outrageous sentences of life for non violent convictions, was finally able to be free. Not only freedom but a celebrity who didn't know her personally but took on as a criminal justice advocate knowing her fight for clemency. It wasn't really clear how Kim Kardashian west learned of her case but not only took it on and networked with the ones to help with her freedom, also visit and met her in person, then invited to the president event... seeing the white house grand tour with all paid for its remarkable in its own right.
I love inspirational stories, also taking us inside the ride to the prison and insight behind the walls. Yet I found other parts not so exciting but meaningful which was a decent read... can easily bore others, but overall thanks for hope.
Although she was involved in a nonviolent crime, no one deserves a life sentence. Unjust justice.
Anthony ray Hinton is another remarkable story after serving three decades and didn't do the crime!
I love inspirational stories, also taking us inside the ride to the prison and insight behind the walls. Yet I found other parts not so exciting but meaningful which was a decent read... can easily bore others, but overall thanks for hope.
Although she was involved in a nonviolent crime, no one deserves a life sentence. Unjust justice.
Anthony ray Hinton is another remarkable story after serving three decades and didn't do the crime!
March 6, 2024
It was an interesting read, especially about sentencing guidelines and the way some people are sentenced to long terms for nonviolent crimes. She focused a lot on herself and all of her accomplishments. She met a lot of good women, but left out the harsh realities that many prisoners experience. It seemed a little too good to be true. I'm glad she's out, and I hope she can help others who have been unfairly sentenced.
May 14, 2025
Easy listen . Such a heart breaking story about how hard her life was how her trial was such a tragedy to her . I do not agree with her views on being an ordained minister but love her heart for the Lord and pray it’s true !
June 24, 2019
Great Book
The book was a great reading. She had hardships but she pressed on. Thanks for telling your story . Yes
The book was a great reading. She had hardships but she pressed on. Thanks for telling your story . Yes
October 15, 2019
What a fascinating story. No excuses. Redemption began way before her release. Talk about flourishing where you are planted. I wish her all the best.
Read
October 7, 2019While I do believe people should have consequences for their actions, I do also believe the punishment should fit the crime, and glad that Alice was able to get a second chance. How God was there with her and gave her small glimpses of hope over the years was powerful and encouraging. Was a book I didn't want to put down.
May 26, 2019
Incredible!
July 8, 2019
Don't Give Up on Your Faith
This book drew me in from the very beginning and I enjoyed reading this storyline to the very end. I am so glad that Alice Marie Johnson story is told so others can have the same faith and belief of waiting for God to help them while in prison and life situations.
Alice Johnson's story will get others to see that making bad choices in life you do suffer consequences behind that choice and also not to listen to what the streets say. Learn and find out for yourself what is true and what is a lie.
I recommend this book to read.
Cassandra H.
This book drew me in from the very beginning and I enjoyed reading this storyline to the very end. I am so glad that Alice Marie Johnson story is told so others can have the same faith and belief of waiting for God to help them while in prison and life situations.
Alice Johnson's story will get others to see that making bad choices in life you do suffer consequences behind that choice and also not to listen to what the streets say. Learn and find out for yourself what is true and what is a lie.
I recommend this book to read.
Cassandra H.
August 4, 2019
What a phenomenal lady Miss Alice is! The injustice that she faced was inconceivable but the faith she had and the urge to keep on living and empowering not only herself but others blew me away. I cried with her in heartbreak and again in joy at the end. What a moving book; both emotionally and the shift in the justice system
July 16, 2019
First hand account of the harshness of mandatory sentencing. Alice's story shines a light on life behind bars and how her life sentence didn't extinguish hope or her compassion for others.
August 17, 2019
This was a heart wrenching story and shows just how messed up our judicial system is.
September 10, 2019
Great book!
July 29, 2019
In 1992, because of mandatory sentencing guidelines in Memphis, Alice Marie Johnson was sentenced to life plus twenty-five years for her role in a cocaine trafficking operation. Alice was the go between via phone for buying/selling this drug. Alice never claimed innocence and apologized for her role. Alice had a clean record prior to this event. Alice decided that she could either let her prison sentence define her or she could use it to help herself and others. She became an ordained minister and put on plays and other activities that won her numerous commendations while incarcerated. When President Barack Obama was leaving office Alice heard that he was granting clemency to non-violent offenders who fit a certain criteria. Alice checked every box on the list and sent in her application. She watched as, over the next few months, prisoners were granted clemency, some who didn't fit every point as she did. She didn't give up hope and she and her family worked hard to bring her story to Obama's attention. On the day Obama left office Alice was shattered when her name never came up. Little did she know that one of her videos had been sent to Kim Kardashian, of all people, and that Kim had been deeply touched by Alice's story and began work to get Alice released. Kardashian reached out to Jared Kushner, who was working on the 'First Step Act, and to Ivanka Trump, an advocate for women's rights. Through their work Alice's story was brought to the attention of President Trump. Alice was worried when she had heard that Trump had won the election because she remembered him stating that he was going to be tough on crime and she thought this meant he would have little sympathy for her. Kardashian met with Trump and it didn't take long before he called her back and told her that he would be granting clemency for Alice. On June 6, 2018 Alice walked out of prison. Alice promised Trump that he would not be sorry for granting her the freedom she had sought for so long and she has been working hard to help those who are still in prison for crimes like hers. No one can give Alice back the time she spent in prison but perhaps comfort can be found in that had she not spent those twenty years locked away then she and her very unlikely partner, President Trump, would not have joined forces to work on prison reform and to change history. Good read.
June 27, 2021
Megyn Kelly interviewed Ms. Johnson on her podcast last week and I was so amazed by her story that I immediately went to the library and checked out her book. She writes about her entire life, from childhood through her release from prison in 2018. She made a couple of decisions that altered the course of her life and one of those was beginning to gamble. She had a gambling addiction and it resulted in her losing a lot of her money. In order to gain the money back, she began receiving phone calls about drug deals and was the middle contact person for these. She ended up being arrested and then was sentenced to life in prison, even though she was a nonviolent offender and she had never been in trouble with the law before. She describes her life in prison and it sounded really tough in a lot of ways. She relied on her faith in Christ while there and wound up being a mentor for many of the women she encountered in prison. After she had been in prison for about 17 years, she applied for clemency from Obama and it was never granted. She eventually did a video that went viral and it resulted in Kim Kardashian hearing about her story. Kim Kardashian got her lawyer on the case and after a ton of jumping through hoops, she was eventually granted clemency by Trump. It was amazing to read about how God worked everything together to eventually lead Alice to freedom, but it was also sad to realize that there are probably many more stories of people who have been put in jail with punishments that didn’t fit the crimes. My hope is that everything that she went through will result in some prison reform because that has become her platform since she was released.
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February 1, 2023This book has heavy Christian themes throughout. It talks about her faith and how it helped see her through her time behind bars more than anything else.
I say that because many were expecting something else. This book doesn’t dive much into what her time behind bars was like—it mainly talks about how her faith helped see her though. Some see that as a negative; some a positive. I see it as the story she wanted to tell.
I found the parts that talked about her life before prison to be some of the best parts of the book. Seeing how it was connected to so many other things I’ve read about was really poignant, especially her family situation and her early marriage. (Framing this way to not give away spoilers.)
It doesn’t dive deeply into criminal justice reform directly, but it does talk about ghost drugs and the mechanics of her case some. For those who want to learn more about the law and criminal justice side and clemency, I’d check out A Knock At Midnight by Britney Barnett. It’s very very good. And she worked on this case and those of some of the people mentioned in this memoir.
I’m grateful that Alice shared her story with us. I find her resilience and optimism and kind heart to be very inspiring.
I won’t judge how she told the story or how she could have told it better. I am glad I read it.
I say that because many were expecting something else. This book doesn’t dive much into what her time behind bars was like—it mainly talks about how her faith helped see her though. Some see that as a negative; some a positive. I see it as the story she wanted to tell.
I found the parts that talked about her life before prison to be some of the best parts of the book. Seeing how it was connected to so many other things I’ve read about was really poignant, especially her family situation and her early marriage. (Framing this way to not give away spoilers.)
It doesn’t dive deeply into criminal justice reform directly, but it does talk about ghost drugs and the mechanics of her case some. For those who want to learn more about the law and criminal justice side and clemency, I’d check out A Knock At Midnight by Britney Barnett. It’s very very good. And she worked on this case and those of some of the people mentioned in this memoir.
I’m grateful that Alice shared her story with us. I find her resilience and optimism and kind heart to be very inspiring.
I won’t judge how she told the story or how she could have told it better. I am glad I read it.
August 17, 2021
Alice Marie Johnson writes a good non fiction book of her life. She was born into a large family. Started her own family at a young age. When she was in her 40s low on money and trying to support her family alone, she makes the mistake of doing something illegal by getting involved in cocaine trafficking. Even though this was her first offense and was a non violent act, she was unfairly sentenced to life in prison.
For the next 21 years she was in three different prisons in California, Texas and then Alabama. For all these years she tried to get clemency but was turned down. During these years in prison she turned back to her religion and did her best to live in the prison walls. She made friends. wrote plays and put on the productions of the plays she wrote. I found her to be a very impressive woman who spent 21 years making herself productive while in prison.
At almost 21 years she did a few minute appearance for prison that was viewed my Kim Kardashian who decided she would do what she could to help "Miss Alice" to get out of prison. At almost 22 years behind bars Alice marie Johnson was freed from prison. I found this to be a very good book and was impressed with how this woman made the best she could while behind bars.
For the next 21 years she was in three different prisons in California, Texas and then Alabama. For all these years she tried to get clemency but was turned down. During these years in prison she turned back to her religion and did her best to live in the prison walls. She made friends. wrote plays and put on the productions of the plays she wrote. I found her to be a very impressive woman who spent 21 years making herself productive while in prison.
At almost 21 years she did a few minute appearance for prison that was viewed my Kim Kardashian who decided she would do what she could to help "Miss Alice" to get out of prison. At almost 22 years behind bars Alice marie Johnson was freed from prison. I found this to be a very good book and was impressed with how this woman made the best she could while behind bars.
June 11, 2020
This gave me amazing insight into the life of a female prisoner serving a life sentence in the US. It was devastating to learn of the circumstances that led to her imprisonment and the injustice that takes place in the US justice system. Understandably, I feel like Alice Marie Johnson has very rose-tinted views on Donald Trump and his stances on prison reform and does not really reflect other people's realities of life under a Trump presidency. Faith and religion also played a large part in Johnson's narrative and as an atheist, this aspect of the story was not something I was interested in.
Overall, this was a fascinating look at one woman's life through the US justice system and how reforms are needed in order to give people adequate sentences. Being imprisoned for over 20 years serving a life sentence for a non-violent, first-time drug charge is unimaginable. Alice Marie Johnson's story reminds us that small things can change your path in life and that there is a lot of work to be done.
Overall, this was a fascinating look at one woman's life through the US justice system and how reforms are needed in order to give people adequate sentences. Being imprisoned for over 20 years serving a life sentence for a non-violent, first-time drug charge is unimaginable. Alice Marie Johnson's story reminds us that small things can change your path in life and that there is a lot of work to be done.
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