Donald Trump Appoints Alice Johnson as First 'Pardon Czar'

The former inmate and criminal justice reform advocate will advise the president on clemency cases, focusing on nonviolent offenders with harsh sentences.

Alice Johnson, whose life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense was commuted by Donald Trump in 2018, has been named the administration's 'pardon czar.'
Johnson will recommend clemency cases to the president, particularly for individuals serving disproportionately long sentences for nonviolent crimes.
Her appointment formalizes a role she informally took on during Trump's first term, when she helped advocate for criminal justice reform and clemency cases.
The position highlights Trump's direct approach to clemency, bypassing traditional processes typically handled by the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
Johnson's case, brought to Trump's attention by Kim Kardashian, became a symbol of sentencing reform and inspired the bipartisan First Step Act during Trump's first term.