Pardon Czar Alice Marie Johnson: “We’re Restoring Lives Through Second Chances”

Alice Marie Johnson, the nation’s first pardon czar, stated on Thursday that the White House’s pardon effort focuses on giving Americans who have been sentenced to prison for crimes opportunities to rebuild their lives. “We’re about restoring lives; we’re about second chances,” she said. “We’re about redemption and belief in people.”

Johnson, a former federal prisoner who served over 20 years for a nonviolent drug offense, received clemency from President Donald Trump in 2018 and a full pardon in 2020. In her role, she leads efforts to identify, review, and recommend individuals for presidential commutations and pardons.

Johnson emphasized that the administration is paying special attention to cases involving people who served lengthy sentences under the 1994 crime bill, which she described as contributing to breaking apart families. “We really look closely at those individuals because at that time there was a war,” she said. “They said there was a war on drugs, but it was more a war on families because young men and women were put in prison for life sentences.”

Johnson noted that today, such individuals would not receive life sentences. “So the president is truly righting those wrongs,” she added. She explained that pardon petitions undergo thorough vetting before reaching President Trump: “No petition is ever presented to President Trump unless it has been carefully vetted by White House legal counsel.”

Her office receives applications through the Justice Department and directly at the White House, collaborating with attorneys in the process. Johnson said they ensure no new crimes have been committed and that individuals do not pose a safety risk to communities. She also highlighted that Trump considers people who have already been out of prison for years and demonstrate rehabilitation.

Johnson connected her mission to her own experience, stating she has made it a priority to remember those still incarcerated. “I’m so honored to be in this position because I’ve been through this myself, and I’ve gotten that second chance,” she said. “So I made a promise that I would never forget the people who I left behind. And I have been fulfilling that promise.”

She pointed to recent pardons for five former NFL players, noting felony records can block individuals from moving forward after serving time. “We looked at what these former NFL players have done with their lives since they were set free,” she said. “Sometimes people think that because you’re a former NFL player you’ve got all of this money, but there are charges — those felonies — on their records.”

Johnson described the pardons as “an act of mercy” and clarified the effort was handled quietly: “No one knew we were working on these pardons because it was not a stunt.” When asked about accusations that Trump is racist, she cited his record with Black Americans. “If you look back at President Trump’s history, his history with the Black community, and how much he has supported the Black community, his record would negate all of those charges,” she stated. “This president has embraced us.”