Alice Marie Johnson urges Prez Trump to free "thousands more" federal prisoners like her

The now-famous, drug-dealer-serving-LWOP grandmother Alice Marie Johnson, who was granted clemency three months ago by Prez Donald Trump, has authored this lengthy new Fox News opinion piece headlined "President Trump freed me from prison – I’m glad he wants to give other nonviolent offenders their freedom."  Here are excerpts:

On June 6, I walked out of prison as a free woman after serving almost 22 years of my life sentence on a first-time nonviolent drug conviction, thanks to a decision by President Trump to commute my sentence to time served.  I was thrilled to hear the president say this week that he is looking to give early release to additional nonviolent prisoners like me....

I can never thank the president enough.  He heard my voice, gave life to my hope and promise to my future.  I am a 63-year-old grandmother who just wants to live in peace and enjoy my family.  There is zero chance I will ever break the law again....

Many other nonviolent offenders in federal prisons today are — like me — no danger to society, and I look forward to having President Trump and members of his administration examine their cases.  Many of these men and women have spent long years in prison and deserve to receive clemency or a commutation of their sentences from the president.

Freeing these offenders early would be an act of justice and mercy, as granting me my freedom was.  And early release would save taxpayers the cost of feeding and housing these people for years after they have paid their debt to society.

When President Obama began granting clemency to nonviolent offenders near the end of his presidency, he gave hope to thousands of people like me.  By 2016, I was 20 years into my life sentence.

My path to prison began at a time in my life when I faced some desperate choices.  I made a terrible decision to participate in a drug conspiracy — a decision I very much regret.

But during my two decades in prison, I accomplished an extraordinary rehabilitation — writing plays, volunteering in the prison hospice, becoming an ordained minister and mentoring to young women in prison.  By 2016 I was a new woman living a new life, even if it was a life I thought was destined to be lived only behind bars.

President Obama’s clemency initiative gave me hope.  I had been told not to hope, not to dream, because I would never be set free. As his presidency came to a close, President Obama began releasing hundreds of other nonviolent offenders, and I became sure I would be released as well.  My prison warden, captain, case manager and vocational training instructor all recommended I be granted clemency.

Unfortunately, I was left behind.  President Obama left office without giving me the chance to start a new life.  And I learned that putting your hope in one man is a mistake, because when that hope dies, you think all your hope has to die. When I received the denial letter from the Office of the Pardon Attorney, I was devastated.  I don’t know why my request was denied, because no explanation was given.  But that decision left me so disappointed.

My petition met all the criteria for clemency.  I had reformed my life in prison and I felt it should have been clear to anyone that I would contribute to society if I was released.  But President Obama left, President Trump arrived and I was told again to give up hope.  I didn’t.

I kept fighting for myself because I know that hearts can change, and no matter what administration is in power, you have to be willing to come to the table, sit down and talk about whether you can find common ground.

Thankfully, Jared Kushner and others working for President Trump have worked to keep clemency and criminal justice reform alive.  They can see that not every person who makes a mistake deserves for that mistake to define the rest of their life. They know that hope is important, but it must also be turned into meaningful change....

I did not leave prison bitter.  I love America and believe in the inherent goodness of the American people and the possibility of redemption.  Now it is President Trump who can make history if he takes the opportunity to go further than any president before him by giving second chances to thousands of people who just need someone to hear them.

The president has a power that the Constitution grants to him alone to both show mercy and deliver justice for people who were given excessively long sentences for crimes involving no violence.  The people who deserve to be freed are those who have long since recognized their mistakes and who have rehabilitated themselves during their time in prison.

I will never forget what President Trump did for me. He changed my life and gave me the opportunity to fulfill my potential, and now he has the chance to do the same for thousands more.

I find it interesting and encouraging that Ms. Johnson says there are "thousands more" federal prisoners like her and that she calls upon Prez Trump to "make history" by going "further than any president before" in the use of his clemency powers. To surpass Prez Obama here, Prez Trump would have to grant more than 1700 clemencies, and I know Ms. Johnson is not the only one who would like to see this happen.