BEGINNING THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HER LIFE.
HER LIFE. >> OH, ALICE MARIE JOHNSON, GOOD
MORNING.
MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> YOU WERE TEARING UP WATCHING
THAT?
THAT? >> I CAN’T HELP IT.
I NEVER, THIS NEVER GETS OLD FOR
ME.
ME. >> YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK BACK ON
THE LAST YEAR, ALICE, AND YOU
SEE A STANDING OVATION AT THE
STEVE MNUCHIN
STEVE MNUCHIN STATE OF THE UNION AND THE OTHER
ACCOLADES.
ACCOLADES. WHAT HAS THE LAST YEAR BEEN LIKE
FOR YOU PERSONALLY?
>> WELL, I HAVE MET SOME AMAZING
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. BEING BACK WITH MY FAMILY HAS
BEEN A DREAM COME TRUE.
WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THOUGH
FOR THIS LAST YEAR IS THEY SAW
ME RUN ACROSS THE ROAD, BUT I
HAVE BEEN RUNNING FOR THE PEOPLE
EVER SINCE.
EVER SINCE. THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT
BEHIND IN PRISON.
>> ALICE MARIE JOHNSONS IN
PRISON?
PRISON? >> THERE ARE MANY ALICE MARIE
JOHNSONS, MANY WOMEN AND MANY
MEN WHO DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE.
THE SAME CHANCE THAT I HAVE BEEN
GIVEN.
GIVEN. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK
ME ABOUT YOUR STORY AND STILL
STRIKES ME, WE HAVE A PICTURE
THAT I THINK PERSONIFIES THIS.
THIS IS A PICTURE AROUND
CHRISTMASTIME.
CHRISTMASTIME. THIS PICTURE IS IN THE BOOK, AS
WELL.
WELL. BUT YOU ARE SO HAPPY.
THERE IS THAT PICTURE THERE.
THIS IS YOU IN PRISON.
ALL SMILES, HAPPY IN FRONT OF
THAT CHRISTMAS TREE.
HOW YOU HAVEHAVE YOU BEEN ABLE T
MAINTAIN THAT HAPPINESS THROUGH
ALL OF THIS?
>> THIS HAS TO BE INSIDE OF YOU.
PRISON CAN TAKE AWAY WHO I AM,
THE JOY I HAD, BUT LIFE ITSELF,
CRAIG, AND THAT IS REALLY THE
WAY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT.
MY FAITH.
MY FAITH. WHEN YOU HAVE FAITH, IT GIVES
YOU JOY IN YOUR HEART.
>> THE BOOK, WHAT PROMPTED YOU
TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
>> SUNDAYSINCE I HAVE COME HOME
MANY PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THE
INSIDE STORY.
INSIDE STORY. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHO I AM AS A
PERSON.
PERSON. THIS MEMOIR IS MY LIFE, AND IT
ALSO MAGNIFIES THE ISSUE OF
PRISON REFORM.
PRISON REFORM. I THINK THAT MY RELEASE HAS PUT
A FACE ON THE NEED.
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS EMBRACED
ME.
ME. THEY HAVE EMBRACED MY STORY
BECAUSE IT IS A STORY OF HOPE,
BUT IT ALSO CHANGES THE
TRAJECTORY OF HOW THEY LOOKED AT
PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PRISON.
>> CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
KIM KARDASHIAN WEST WROTE THE
FOREWARD TO YOUR BOOK.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> SHE ALSO SAYS YOU HELPED HER,
QUOTE, FIND AN INCREDIBLE NEW
SENSE OF PURPOSE.
NOW SHE IS GOING TO LAW SCHOOL.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL OF THAT?
>> I THINK I WAS JUST THE WATER.
THE WATER THAT WATERS THE SEED.
THAT SEED WAS PLANTED IN KIM.
I THINK HER FATHER BEING AN
ATTORNEY AND HER ALWAYS HAVING
AN INTEREST IN LAW.
WHEN I CAME ALONG SHE BLOSSOMED.
I SAW A WOMAN WHO WAS LIKE A
SUPERWOMAN.
SUPERWOMAN. SHE WOULDN’T STOP AT ANYTHING
FOR MY FREEDOM.
SO IT MAKES ME FEEL HUMBLED.
I’M HONORED THAT I WAS A
CATALYST, THAT I HELPED HER WITH
THAT.
THAT. SHE ALSO HELPED ME, TOO.
WE HAVE BOTH IMPACTED EACH
OTHER’S LIVES.
OTHER’S LIVES. >> YOU GUYS STILL KEEP IN TOUCH?
>> OH, YES.
I LOVE KIM.
>> I SAW THE CLIP OF YOU ON
KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIAN.
YOU CREDIT KANYE AS WELL WITH
BEING INSTRUMENTAL.
BEING INSTRUMENTAL. HOW SO?
HOW SO? >> KANYE, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP, PLUS KANYE KNEW
THAT I WAS TRYING TO GAIN MY
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM. HE STEPPED OUT.
KANYE DID A LOT OF THINGS TO
HELP ME, TOO.
AND I’LL NEVER FORGET WHAT HE
DID.
DID. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALSO
STRUCK ME FROM THE EXCERPTS THAT
I READ YOU PETITIONED PRESIDENT
OBAMA A NUMBER OF TIMES AND YOU
WERE DENIED.
WERE DENIED. HOW FRUSTRATING WAS THAT?
>> IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING, BUT
I COULDN’T LET THAT STOP ME.
CRAIG, I KNEW THAT THERE IS NO
WAY THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE
REJOINED WITH MY FAMILY.
SO I KNOW I HAVE SAID THIS
BEFORE, THAT I DON’T FEEL THAT I
WAS REALLY DENIED.
I WAS DESTINED FOR THIS.
>> UNSURPRISINGLY, HOLLYWOOD HAS
COME CALLING.
COME CALLING. THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE A MOVIE
ABOUT YOUR STORY.
WHO DO WE WANT TO PLAY ALICE
MARIE JOHNSON?
MARIE JOHNSON? IF YOU HAD YOUR PICK, WHO WOULD
GET THE NOD?
>> WELL, I AM ALMOST AFRAID TO
SAY I HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE.
>> JUST GIVE ME ONE.
>> I LIKE THE AANGELA BASSETT
DANCES.
DANCES. >> ALL RIGHT.
ANGELA BASSETT, SHE MAY BE
WATCHING.
WATCHING. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
ALICE MARIE JOHNSON, THANK YOU.
BY THE WAY, FIND MORE ON HER