Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Alice Johnson, who had her life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense commuted by President Trump in 2018, praised the president's commitment to criminal justice reform at the Republican National Convention on Thursday.
The big picture: Johnson celebrated the First Step Act, the Trump-backed bipartisan criminal justice bill that passed six months after her commutation. The bill led to the release of at least 3,000 inmates by the end of 2019, according to NBC News.
Between the lines: After a summer of protests over police brutality and system racism, the Trump campaign has recently poured big money into Facebook ads promoting the administration's criminal justice reform efforts.
What she's saying: “I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family would be as a corpse. But by the grace of God and the compassion of President Donald John Trump, I stand before you tonight…and I assure you, I’m not a ghost! I am alive, I am well, and most importantly, I am free," Johnson said.
- "In 1996, I began serving time in prison -- Life plus 25 years. I had never been in trouble. I was a first-time, nonviolent offender. What I did was wrong. I made decisions that I regret."
- "Some say, ‘You do the crime. You do the time.’ However, that time should be fair and just. We’ve all made mistakes, and none of us want to be defined forever based on our worst decision."
- “When President Trump heard about me — about the injustice of my story — he saw me as a person. He had compassion. And he acted. Free in body thanks to President Trump. But free in MIND thanks to the almighty God.”
The bottom line: "I pray that you will not just hear this message, but that you will be inspired by my story, and your compassion will lead you to take action for those who are forgotten," Johnson concluded.
Of note: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who also spoke at the RNC on Thursday, was one of the hardline conservatives who fought against the First Step Act.