President Donald Trump's appointment of Alice Johnson as pardon czar follows her being pardoned by Trump during his first term in office. Johnson told Newsmax Monday that her life sentence for nonviolent crimes forced her to deal with the hard realities of prison.
"Prison can be a very dark place, a very rough place. But I started doing things in prison not only to uplift myself, but I began serving the needs of the other women," Johnson told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."
"I became a well-known playwright. I produced faith-based plays. I served as a hospice volunteer to be with women who had no family. I would be the last voice they hear before they entered into glory."
Johnson said the need for support for people in prison is unimaginable.
"I sat with women who were contemplating suicide. I would sit there with them to talk to them and give them hope that it's not over."
Johnson said she never gave up hope for her release from prison. She's thankful Trump reviewed her case.
"My sentence said life plus 25 years. In fact, I completed almost 22 years in prison. But I didn't give up my hope," she said.
"I didn't give up my faith that one day that someone would see my story, hear my story. And that person was President Donald Trump, who had mercy upon me when he saw the details of my case. He actually saw me as a human being and he set me free."
In her new position in the Trump administration, Johnson will review case histories of people similar to her where long prison sentences have been handed down based on convictions for nonviolent crimes.
"There are literally way too many women, way too many men who serve are serving unnecessary time in prison. And I'm so grateful for President Trump for entrusting me with this mission," she said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com