Kemba Smith receives last-minute pardon from President Biden

“On his final full day in office, on Sunday, January 19, President Biden announced that he leveraged his clemency power to pardon Kemba Smith Pradia [Leading with Conviction™ 2019], who was previously convicted and sentenced to 24 years in federal prison.

This incredible act of grace … reaffirms the belief that our past does not define our future.

“Smith Pradia was a college student when she became involved in an abusive relationship with Peter Hall, a drug dealer. Throughout their relationship, she endured repeated abuse and feared for her safety. According to the Legal Defense Fund, despite never selling or using drugs, Smith Pradia was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 1994 after witnessing some of Hall’s illegal activities. She was later held accountable for his actions following his murder.

“At the time, stringent federal sentencing laws led to her receiving a 24 ½-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole. Smith Pradia, a first-time non-violent offender, was also seven months pregnant at the time of her sentencing. Her case drew national attention and garnered support from various organizations, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. This eventually led to President Bill Clinton granting her executive clemency in 2000 after she had served nearly seven years in federal prison.

“Smith’s story was turned into a film titled ‘KEMBA,’ which is available to watch on BET+.

“This pardon will now wipe her criminal slate clean. …

“Since her release in 2000, Smith Pradia has advocated for raising awareness of domestic violence, criminal justice and racial equity at the helm of her nonprofit foundation. Smith Pradia has also attempted to earn her law degree but has been unable to due to her criminal conviction. …

While they make up 7.7% of the total U.S. population and 15.3% of the female population, Black women [make up] 29% of incarcerated women.

“Between 1986 and 1991, the number of Black women imprisoned on drug-related charges jumped 828 percent per a 1995 report released by The Sentencing Project titled ‘Young Black Americans and the Criminal Justice System: Five Years Later.’ According to the report, when Kemba Smith Pradia was convicted, Black women were the fastest-growing incarcerated population in the country.

“Even today, Black women are still being incarcerated at an alarming rate. While they make up 7.7 percent of the total U.S. population and 15.3 percent of the female population, Black women represented 29 percent of incarcerated women, according to the 2020 Census. …

“Since her release, Smith Pradia has been outspoken on issues related to criminal justice, domestic violence, women’s empowerment and racial equity through her nonprofit foundation. She says that the pardon will allow her to continue her mission.

“‘Today, I dropped to my knees, thanking God for this moment,’ the activist says. ‘I am overwhelmed with gratitude and humbled by the news that I have been granted a full pardon by President Joe Biden. This incredible act of grace not only expunges my criminal record and restores my rights but also reaffirms the belief that our past does not define our future.’

“President Biden granted clemency to several others on Sunday. … The president also commuted the sentences of Robin Peoples and Michelle West, with their sentences now set to expire on February 18, 2025.

“West, a first-time non-violent offender who was sentenced to life, plus 50 years, plus 5 years probation in 1994 under War On Drugs era laws. She served 32 years. Now, her criminal record will be expunged. ‘I am overjoyed and deeply grateful that President Biden has commuted my mom’s life sentence,’ West’s daughter Miquelle West shared in a statement.”

Read the full story at ESSENCE.com.

(Photo above: Legal Defense Fund)