October 29, 2019
Kim Kardashian West Plays Instrumental Role in the Release of Man Sentenced to Life in Prison
Reality star-turned-prison reform activist Kim Kardashian West has assisted in the release of another incarcerated person from prison. According to The New York Post, she helped with the release of a man in Washington, D.C., who had been sitting in prison since 1999.
Momolu Stewart and his co-defendant, Kareem McCraney, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison 23 years ago for the New Year’s Day 1997 shooting death of Mark Rosebure. Although Stewart was only 16 years old at the time, he was charged as an adult. They were found guilty of a number of charges, including first-degree premeditated murder while armed and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
In February, Stewart appealed for his sentence to be reduced under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act, which allows eligible inmates, who were juveniles tried as adults, the ability to petition to have their sentences reduced. Stewart’s co-defendant in the case was previously released in 2018 under the same act.
During his time behind bars, Stewart earned a GED, joined a mentoring program, and received college credits from Georgetown Prison Scholars. He met Kardashian West at the prison while she was shooting for her upcoming documentary Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project. According to Oxygen, after meeting him, she wrote a letter of support to the judge, stating, “I have no doubt that if his petition is granted, that Momolu would be an asset to his community, rather than a threat to public safety… I have been actively involved in cases across the country and in my view, Momolu is especially deserving of your consideration.”
As a result, his life sentence was reduced to time served plus three days by a Washington D.C. Judge Robert Salerno on Oct. 4. He was also given five years of probation. He expressed his thanks to Kardashian West on his Instagram account following his release.
The businesswoman, who has been tagged by some as “the princess of prison reform,” successfully lobbied President Donald Trump last year to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a life sentence without parole for a nonviolent drug offense. In addition, Kardashian West played a major role in freeing Matthew Charles, a former drug dealer-turned-model-inmate. Van Jones has also credited the 38-year-old mother of four for helping to pass the criminal justice reform bill The First Step Act into law.