Alice Marie Johnson speaks out after prison sentence commuted by Trump ‘I’ve overpaid the debt for the crime I committed’

Yesterday, President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson.

The 63-year old grandmother has already served 21 years of a life sentence after being convicted on charges of conspiracy to possess cocaine and attempted possession of cocaine. Johnson, a first-time non-violent drug offender. a week after Kim Kardashian pleaded her case with Trump.

Johnson got mixed up in drug trafficking following a particularly rough period in her life. She lost her job at FedEx where she had worked for 10 years (due to a gambling addiction), got divorced, and then her youngest son died in a motorcycle accident.

This traumatic series of events is what led her to become involved with drugs.

As she told Mic: “I felt like a failure… I went into a complete panic and out of desperation, I made one of the worst decisions of my life to make some quick money. I became involved in a drug conspiracy.”

And yesterday she ran out of the gates of the Alabama prison where she was being held into the arms of her waiting family.

Cameras caught her say, “I’m free to hug my family. I’m free to start over.”

Today Alice Marie Johnson spoke with Michael Strahan from Memphis, Tennessee.

On how she’s feeling:

“Its an amazing feeling. Just being with my family again.”

On how it feels to see her family again.

“It’s the most exhilarating feeling.”

On how she feels about being released from prison.

“I feel I’ve overpaid the debt for the crime I committed. I’m not bitter about it but I’m just happy it came to an end.”

On working with Kim Kardashian.

“From the very first we had a heart connection with this. She told me that she knew that this was meant to be. This is the person she needs to do something.”

On what she would want to say to Trump.

“I’d like to tell President Trump that I’m so grateful for everything you did for me and my family. Please remember the others who have been left behind who need to have an opportunity that I’ve had.”

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