The History Behind Kim Kardashian's Work In Criminal Justice Reform

There's no doubt about it: fame opens doors. Achieving celebrity status brings opportunities and privileges that are hard to imagine as an everyday person, including the chance to spearhead positive changes in society. Not all celebrities take the time to give back, but those who do truly make a difference in people's lives. For example, although you may not immediately associate Kim Kardashian with the criminal justice world, the reality star has undergone a stunning transformation by using her platform to advocate for justice system reforms. 

Kardashian explained the passion that drove her into this surprising role to Vogue in 2019: "I just felt like I wanted to be able to fight for people who have paid their dues to society. I just felt like the system could be so different, and I wanted to fight to fix it." In October 2024, she penned a heartfelt essay in support of two of the most notorious criminals in California history: Erik and Lyle Menendez. The brothers' controversial conviction has been hotly debated for decades, and their fight for a new trial gained renewed traction when the Los Angeles District Attorney agreed to review their case in late 2024. 

Like many others, Kardashian asserts in her essay (via NBC News) that the brothers deserve a chance at freedom: "We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved." However, this essay is just one chapter in Kardashian's criminal justice reform story. Here, we'll break down all the history of her work in this important field. 

One of the most difficult aspects of breaking into the criminal justice sphere is understanding all of the details behind how our legal system functions, but pursuing a law degree can give advocates a serious leg up. It's no secret that Kim Kardashian's late father, Robert Kardashian, was a titan in the legal world, and Kim's passion for criminal justice reform led her to follow in his footsteps. Her path to becoming a lawyer started in 2018 and has included an 18-hour-per-week internship with legal organization #Cut50 in lieu of attending law school and taking California's "baby bar" exam three times before passing it in 2021 (the equivalent of passing the first year of a traditional law program). 

Although her journey hasn't been as straightforward as some, Kim believes that Robert would be very supportive. As she shared on Instagram: "I know my dad would be so proud, and he would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now, but he would have been my best study partner." It's unfortunate that Robert died of cancer long before Kim's law ambitions surfaced, but her choice to carry on his legacy is heartwarming. 

In terms of criminal justice reforms, lasting change often occurs one case at a time. In 2019, Kim Kardashian used some of her considerable fortune to support 90 Days of Freedom, a campaign launched by the Decarceration Collective. With Kardashian's help, the campaign successfully freed 17 prisoners, all of whom had been life sentences for nonviolent drug-related crimes. The non-profit's founder, MiAngel Cody, shared how much Kardashian did for the former prisoners with CBS News: "Kim Kardashian has been instrumental in funding the legal fees for vital attorney representation, transportation for newly freed prisoners so they have a ride home to their families and reentry costs related to our clients' smooth transition back into society." 

However, one of the best aspects of Kardashian's work with the 90 Days of Freedom campaign is the fact that she didn't seek any recognition for her efforts from fans. Whereas some celebrities use charity work as a way to generate positive publicity for themselves, she worked silently behind the scenes to help the Decarceration Collective meet their campaign goals, showing her genuine commitment to this cause. 

Whether she's promoting all of her businesses or arguing with her sisters, Kim Kardashian is no stranger to television appearances. In 2020, she made arguably one of her most important appearances yet when "Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project" aired on Oxygen. The documentary explores the stories of several incarcerated individuals, bringing much-needed attention to their efforts to have their life sentences reexamined. As Kardashian explained to Time, the people she features in the documentary all received sentences that she believes are too harsh: "I really do believe that, if people do a crime, they need to do the time. But it's a matter of, what is that fair [amount of] time?"

Some of the people featured in Kardashian's documentary have had their life sentences commuted or suspended, such as Momolu Stewart, who was incarcerated when he was just a teenager. Upon his release, Stewart expressed his appreciation for Kardashian's help, telling Oxygen: "She has the ability to believe in others when the conventional aspect of things would be to shun 'em." Another former inmate featured in the documentary, David Sheppard, was granted clemency after serving 30 years of his sentence. Like Stewart, Sheppard greatly benefited from Kardashian raising awareness about his case. 

In 1999, Oklahoma resident Julius Jones was convicted of murdering Paul Howell, but has maintained his innocence ever since his conviction. Despite claims that he was wrongfully convicted, Jones was scheduled to be executed in November 2021, over two decades after his original sentence was handed down. Just weeks before his potential execution date, Kim Kardashian posted on X, formerly Twitter, about Jones' case, saying: "This is the cold machinery of the Death Penalty in America. In just over two weeks, an innocent man could be put to death. My heart breaks for Julius and so many others who have suffered from such tragic miscarriage of justice." In the end, Kardashian's support helped drum up widespread public interest in Jones' case, and Oklahoma's Governor Kevin Stitt granted him clemency at the 11th hour. Jones' sentence was changed to life without the possibility of parole, permanently sparing him from the death penalty. 

However, these last-minute efforts on social media weren't the start of Kardashian's involvement with Jones and his family. A year before Jones' execution date, the reality star took time out of her busy schedule to visit him in prison.  Later, she met with some of Jones' family and friends, including Jimmy Lawson, who told City News OKC: "She has so much passion for the wrongfully convicted, and she believes strongly that Julius Jones is innocent." 

Although social media is a very powerful tool for spreading the word about criminal justice issues, Kim Kardashian has taken her advocacy efforts even further with multiple visits to the White House. For example, in 2020, Kardashian visited with then-President Donald Trump and several former prisoners to hear their stories. All three had their prison sentences commuted, after being recommended for clemency by author and prison reform advocate Alice Marie Johnson. However, Kardashian and Johnson shared a special bond long before this visit: Kardashian played an integral role in lobbying for Johnson's own sentence to be overturned, and Trump granted Johnson clemency in 2018. 

In April 2024, Kardashian sat down with another politician to talk about criminal justice policies: then-vice president Kamala Harris. As CNN reported, several people who Joe Biden pardoned were part of the conversation, and both Harris and Kardashian commented on the importance of criminal justice reform and the need for better paths for incarcerated people to reenter society after serving their sentences. Kardashian also discussed her personal experiences and optimism for the future: "Every time I've gone and visited a prison, I've met some of the smartest individuals with the brightest ideas and to see the changes that are happening to make their reentry easier, I think, is going to be life changing and give so many people hope." Given her extensive, ongoing work in this field, we're sure Kardashian has given plenty of wrongfully convicted people hope.