Join us for a screening of the film Kemba and a panel discussion featuring Kemba Smith-Pradia!

 In 1994, Kemba, a college student, was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for drug crimes committed by her abusive kingpin boyfriend. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund worked to secure her clemency six years later, and Kemba has been advocating for prison reform ever since. She is passionate about securing the release of other women who have been over-sentenced for similar crimes (e.g., non-violent drug offenses), including the release of Detroiter Michelle West. Kemba and Michelle met in prison decades ago and remain friends. Kemba is committed to obtaining clemency for Ms. West, who also experienced intimate partner violence, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute illegal substances, and who – despite never engaging in violence herself – received a mandatory federal life sentence at the height of the “war on drugs” in the 1990s. 

This event is made possible by support from:

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice

The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights

The Humanities Center

Law School

The Department of Political Science

The Department of Sociology

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