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|name = Topeka Kimberly Sam
|name = Topeka Kimberly Sam
|birth_place = Long Island, New York
|birth_place = Long Island, New York
|charges = Drug trafficking conspiracy
|charges = Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine
|sentence = 130 months (10+ years)
|sentence = 130 months
|facility = FCI Danbury
|facility = FCI Danbury
|status = Pardoned
|status = Released
|conviction_date = January 11, 2013
|conviction_date = January 11, 2013
|release_date = May 5, 2015 (early release); December 23, 2020 (pardoned)
|release_date = May 5, 2015
|pardon_date = December 23, 2020
}}
}}
'''Topeka Kimberly Sam''' is an American criminal justice reform advocate and former federal prisoner who has become one of the most prominent voices for incarcerated women in the United States. In January 2013, she was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that involved the acquisition of 80 kilograms of cocaine. A federal judge labeled her a "drug queenpin" at sentencing. Prior to her arrest, Sam had led a double life as an entrepreneur while facilitating large-scale cocaine transactions on the East Coast. She was released from Federal Correctional Institution Danbury in May 2015 after successfully appealing her sentence and completing a drug treatment program. Sam subsequently founded Ladies of Hope Ministries, became a key figure in securing clemency for Alice Marie Johnson, served as the first formerly incarcerated board member of The Marshall Project, and spoke at the White House Prison Reform Summit in 2018. President Donald Trump granted Sam a full pardon on December 23, 2020, citing her efforts in criminal justice reform.<ref name="marshall-sam">The Marshall Project, "Topeka Sam," https://www.themarshallproject.org/staff/topeka-sam.</ref>


== Summary ==
'''Topeka Kimberly Sam''' is an American criminal justice reform advocate and the founder of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, a nonprofit that helps women returning home from incarceration. She pleaded guilty in 2013 to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and received a 130-month federal sentence.<ref name="wh" /> She served roughly three years and was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, on May 5, 2015.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="wh" />


Topeka Sam's story represents one of the most remarkable transformations from federal prisoner to nationally recognized criminal justice reform advocate. Born into an entrepreneurial family on Long Island, Sam appeared to have every advantage—two parents who built businesses from the ground up, piano and dance lessons, and a path to success. But at college, she became involved in the drug trade, eventually rising to coordinate multi-kilogram cocaine transactions that resulted in her federal prosecution.
After her release, Sam built a career around reentry work for women. She started The Ladies of Hope Ministries, opened a transitional house in the Bronx, and pushed for changes to how prisons treat women and mothers. She helped draw national attention to the clemency case of Alice Marie Johnson. She spoke at a White House summit on prison reform in 2018 and joined the board of The Marshall Project, the criminal justice news organization.<ref name="grio" /><ref name="variety" />


Her time at FCI Danbury, rather than ending her prospects, became the catalyst for a new mission. Sam witnessed firsthand the conditions facing incarcerated women: women forced to give birth in handcuffs, denied access to their newborn children; feminine hygiene products rationed so severely that women improvised pads from bedding scraps; and the overwhelming impact of the War on Drugs on women of color.
President Donald Trump granted Sam a full pardon on December 23, 2020. The White House statement called her life "a story of redemption" and credited her advocacy for the First Step Act.<ref name="wh" /> In 2022 she received Google's first Social Impact Award, which carried a $100,000 grant, and an honorary doctorate from New York Theological Seminary.<ref name="variety" /><ref name="drsite" />


After her early release in 2015, Sam dedicated herself to helping other women avoid her path and supporting those transitioning from incarceration back into society. She founded Ladies of Hope Ministries, established Hope House to provide transitional housing for female parolees, and became a vocal advocate for policy reforms. Her advocacy work included helping to bring national attention to the case of Alice Marie Johnson through a viral video that caught the attention of Kim Kardashian, leading to Johnson's clemency and eventual pardon.
== Background and Conviction ==


Sam herself received a presidential pardon in December 2020. Since then, she has received Google's inaugural Social Impact Award, earned an honorary doctorate, and continues to be one of the nation's most influential advocates for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women.
Sam grew up on Long Island, New York, in a predominantly white neighborhood. Her parents ran businesses. They owned a Carvel ice cream franchise in Brooklyn and later opened a restaurant in Harlem.<ref name="honey" /> She has described her childhood as comfortable. "We had every single opportunity," she told one interviewer. "I had the piano lessons, the dance lessons."<ref name="grio" />


== Background ==
She enrolled at Morgan State University, a historically Black university in Baltimore. She has said she chose an HBCU to be around people who shared her background, a contrast to the neighborhood where she was raised.<ref name="wiki" />


=== Early Life and Family ===
At Morgan State she began dating a man who sold drugs. She started connecting buyers with sellers. That role grew. By her own account, she watched how easily money moved through the trade and decided she could run it herself.<ref name="honey" /> After college she kept at it. She coordinated cocaine transactions on the East Coast while presenting herself as a businesswoman. She ran an online phone-case shop and held a position at a transportation agency. She has called it "a double life."<ref name="wiki" />


Topeka Kimberly Sam grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood on Long Island, New York, in what she has described as a privileged upbringing. Her parents were successful entrepreneurs who built their family home from the ground up. They owned and operated a Carvel ice cream franchise in Brooklyn, and later opened a restaurant in Harlem that became notable as the first establishment in the neighborhood to feature outdoor seating, frozen yogurt, and fresh fruit shakes.<ref name="honey">Honeysuckle Magazine, "Topeka K. Sam: Hope and Healing Incarcerated Women's Trauma," https://honeysucklemag.com/topeka-k-sam-ladies-of-hope-ministries-incarcerated-women/</ref>
Federal agents arrested her on April 24, 2012. Prosecutors tied her to a drug conspiracy that involved the acquisition of cocaine, including a transaction of 80 kilograms.<ref name="wiki" /> The case was charged in the Eastern District of Virginia, a court known for moving cases fast.


Sam has reflected on her childhood as one filled with opportunities: "We had every single opportunity. I had the piano lessons, the dance lessons." Her parents' entrepreneurial success provided a foundation of stability and aspiration, which makes her subsequent path into drug trafficking all the more striking as a cautionary tale about how anyone—regardless of background—can make choices that lead to federal prison.<ref name="grio">TheGrio, "Topeka K. Sam doesn't want Black women left out of the conversation on mass incarceration," December 2019, https://thegrio.com/2019/12/09/topeka-k-sam-doesnt-want-black-women-left-out-of-the-conversation-on-mass-incarceration/</ref>
On January 11, 2013, Sam pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine.<ref name="wh" /> The judge sentenced her to 130 months. The sentence reflected the drug quantities and the federal mandatory minimums that apply to large cocaine conspiracies. She was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, a low-security prison for women.<ref name="honey" /><ref name="wh" />


=== Education ===
== Incarceration ==


Sam attended Morgan State University, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Baltimore, Maryland. She chose Morgan State specifically to distance herself from the predominantly white neighborhood where she grew up and to surround herself with people who looked like her. The transition from Long Island to an HBCU represented Sam's search for cultural identity and community.<ref name="wiki" />
FCI Danbury has held a number of well-known inmates, among them Martha Stewart. Sam spent about three years there. What she saw shaped the work she would do afterward.


=== Path to Drug Trafficking ===
She has described watching women give birth in handcuffs and then lose access to their newborns. She has said sanitary products were rationed so tightly that women made pads from scraps of bedding.<ref name="honey" /><ref name="grio" /> "I knew I was called to do this work when I was in prison," she later said.<ref name="grio" />


While at Morgan State, Sam became involved with a romantic partner who sold drugs. She began facilitating connections between drug buyers and sellers, marking her initial involvement in the drug trade. Sam later recalled observing "the ease at which guys were selling drugs off campus" and becoming convinced she could replicate this business model herself.<ref name="honey" />
Sam worked to shorten her sentence. She wrote to the judge. She filed an appeal. She completed the Residential Drug Abuse Program, a Bureau of Prisons treatment course that can take up to a year off a sentence for inmates who finish it.<ref name="wiki" /> Her sentence was reduced. She was released on May 5, 2015, after serving roughly three years of the 130-month term.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="wh" />


What began as facilitation evolved into coordination of increasingly large cocaine transactions. Sam continued her involvement in drug trafficking after college, eventually becoming a significant figure in an East Coast drug distribution network while simultaneously maintaining the appearance of a legitimate businesswoman. She operated an online mobile phone case boutique and held a position as a division chairwoman at a leading transportation agency—a dual existence that she has described as living "a double life."<ref name="wiki" />
== Advocacy and The Ladies of Hope Ministries ==


== Criminal Case ==
Sam founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries in 2017. The nonprofit helps women rebuild after prison. It works on education, housing, food, and emotional support for women and their families.<ref name="nolan" /><ref name="wh" />


=== Arrest and Charges ===
The organization runs several programs. The Angel Food delivery program addresses food insecurity in families touched by incarceration. By December 2022 it had delivered more than 9,000 bags of groceries.<ref name="lohm" /> Hope House NYC, in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, gives women on parole a place to live as they reenter society. Sam set it up with Vanee Sykes, who had also been incarcerated.<ref name="lohm" /> Other programs help women learn job skills and start their own businesses.<ref name="nolan" />


On April 24, 2012, Sam was arrested for her alleged role in a multi-kilogram drug trafficking conspiracy. Federal prosecutors accused her of involvement in facilitating the acquisition of cocaine, including a transaction involving 80 kilograms of the substance—a quantity with significant street value and substantial prison exposure under federal sentencing guidelines.<ref name="wiki" />
Sam helped bring the case of Alice Marie Johnson into the national conversation. Johnson, a grandmother, was serving a life sentence for a first-time nonviolent drug offense and had been in federal prison for more than two decades. Sam produced a video about Johnson's case. It spread on social media and reached Kim Kardashian, who took the case to the Trump administration and met the president in the Oval Office.<ref name="be" /> Trump granted Johnson clemency in June 2018, and she walked out after 21 years. He pardoned her in 2020.<ref name="be" />


Sam was indicted in Virginia as part of an ongoing federal investigation into drug trafficking. The case was prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia, sometimes called the "rocket docket" for its reputation for moving cases quickly through the federal court system.
Sam co-founded the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Through that group she worked with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker on the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, a bill aimed at conditions for women and mothers behind bars.<ref name="grio" /> She backed the First Step Act, the federal reform law Trump signed in December 2018. The law cut some mandatory minimums, expanded reentry support, and reworked the good-time credit system.<ref name="wh" />


=== Guilty Plea and Sentencing ===
In 2018 Sam spoke at a White House summit on prison reform. She described the conditions she had seen, including the lack of sanitary products and the separation of mothers from their children.<ref name="wiki" /> She also joined the board of The Marshall Project, becoming the first formerly incarcerated woman to serve on it.<ref name="variety" />


On January 11, 2013, Sam pleaded guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy charges. At sentencing, the presiding judge labeled her a "drug queenpin"—a characterization that reflected the scope of her involvement in the conspiracy. She received a sentence of 130 months (nearly 11 years) in federal prison, to be served at Federal Correctional Institution Danbury in Danbury, Connecticut, a minimum-security federal prison for female inmates.<ref name="honey" />
== Recognition ==


The lengthy sentence reflected the quantities of drugs involved in the conspiracy and the application of federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws that have been criticized for producing disproportionate punishments, particularly for nonviolent drug offenders.
President Trump granted Sam a full pardon on December 23, 2020. The White House statement called her life "a story of redemption" and said she had become "a powerful advocate for criminal justice reform" after completing three years of her sentence. It named her work with The Ladies of Hope Ministries and her support for the First Step Act. The statement listed Alice Johnson and David Safavian among those who backed the pardon.<ref name="wh" />


=== Imprisonment at FCI Danbury ===
Reporting later described a separate effort on her behalf. According to NOLA.com, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb lobbied the White House for Sam's pardon after one of his companies partnered with The Ladies of Hope Ministries.<ref name="nola" />


Sam served her sentence at FCI Danbury, a facility that has housed numerous notable inmates including Martha Stewart. During her incarceration, Sam witnessed conditions that would profoundly shape her subsequent advocacy work.
On May 5, 2022, seven years to the day after her release, Google named Sam the recipient of its first Social Impact Award for her work to reduce incarceration among women. The award included a $100,000 grant.<ref name="variety" /> That same month she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from New York Theological Seminary. She is often referred to as Dr. Topeka K. Sam.<ref name="drsite" />


She observed women forced to give birth while in handcuffs, then denied the right to see their own children. She saw feminine hygiene products rationed so severely that incarcerated women had to fashion their own menstrual pads from scraps of bedding or clothing. These experiences exposed Sam to the systemic issues affecting incarcerated women and the disproportionate impact of the War on Drugs on women of color.<ref name="honey" /><ref name="grio" />
Sam hosted a show on SiriusXM's Urban View channel. She has appeared on programs including The Tamron Hall Show, CNN, MSNBC, and Today, and has been featured in Vogue, Essence, Rolling Stone, Variety, and The New York Times.<ref name="drsite" /> She sits on the boards of Operation Restoration, Pure Legacee, and the United Justice Coalition.<ref name="variety" />
 
"I knew I was called to do this work when I was in prison," Sam later recalled. The conditions she witnessed transformed her understanding of the criminal justice system and planted the seeds for her future advocacy.
 
=== Sentence Reduction and Release ===
 
Sam took active steps to reduce her sentence. She wrote a letter to the sentencing judge, filed an appeal, and participated in the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), a Bureau of Prisons program that can result in up to a 12-month reduction in sentence for eligible inmates who complete the intensive treatment program.
 
Her efforts were successful: Sam's sentence was reduced, and she was released from FCI Danbury on May 5, 2015, having served approximately three years of her original 130-month sentence. The early release allowed her to begin her transition back into society and launch her advocacy career.<ref name="wiki" />
 
== Criminal Justice Advocacy ==
 
=== Ladies of Hope Ministries ===
 
In 2017, Sam founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries (LOHM), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women transition back into society after incarceration. The organization provides resources related to education, housing, groceries, and emotional support for formerly incarcerated women and their families.<ref name="nolan">Nolan Center for Justice, "Highlighting Women in Criminal Justice Reform: Topeka Sam," https://conservativejusticereform.org/highlighting-women-in-criminal-justice-reform-topeka-sam/</ref>
 
==== Programs and Initiatives ====
 
Ladies of Hope Ministries operates several key programs:
 
* '''Angel Food Delivery Program:''' A food assistance initiative that addresses food insecurity among families affected by incarceration. By December 2022, this program had delivered over 9,000 bags of groceries to families impacted by the criminal justice system.
 
* '''Hope House NYC:''' Transitional housing for female parolees, established in the Castle Hill neighborhood of the Bronx in partnership with fellow formerly incarcerated woman Vanee Sykes. Hope House provides a stable living environment for women reentering society, addressing one of the most critical barriers to successful reintegration.
 
* '''Education and Entrepreneurship Programs:''' Resources to help formerly incarcerated women develop job skills, start businesses, and achieve financial independence.
 
=== Alice Marie Johnson Case ===
 
Sam played a pivotal role in bringing national attention to the case of Alice Marie Johnson, a grandmother who was serving a life sentence for a first-time nonviolent drug offense. Johnson had been in federal prison for more than 20 years with no possibility of parole.
 
Sam produced a video about Johnson's case that went viral on social media. The video caught the attention of reality television star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian, who became emotionally moved by Johnson's story. Kardashian subsequently lobbied the Trump administration directly for Johnson's clemency, meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office.
 
The advocacy campaign was successful: President Trump granted Johnson clemency on June 6, 2018, and she was released from prison after 21 years. In 2020, Trump granted Johnson a full pardon, completely clearing her record. Sam's role in producing the video that launched this high-profile clemency case demonstrated the power of storytelling in criminal justice advocacy and established her as a significant figure in reform circles.<ref name="be">Black Enterprise, "Topeka Sam, the Woman Who Facilitated a Trump Clemency, Talks Power of Entrepreneurship," https://www.blackenterprise.com/topeka-sam-trump-johnson-clemency/</ref>
 
=== Policy Advocacy ===
 
Sam co-founded the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, an organization that advocates for policy reforms affecting women in the criminal justice system. Through this organization, she has worked with federal legislators including Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) on the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, legislation designed to improve conditions for incarcerated women and mothers.<ref name="grio" />
 
=== First Step Act ===
 
Sam advocated for The [[First Step Act]], landmark criminal justice reform legislation that was signed into law by President Trump in December 2018. The legislation:
* Reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent offenses
* Improved prison conditions
* Provided better support for individuals reentering society after incarceration
* Reformed the federal good time credit system
 
=== White House Prison Reform Summit ===
 
In 2018, Sam was invited to speak at the White House Prison Reform Summit, a gathering of criminal justice reform advocates, policymakers, and administration officials. She shared insights derived from her own experience in federal prison, including discussing conditions and challenges faced by incarcerated women, such as the difficulties obtaining adequate sanitary products and the traumatic separation of mothers from their children.<ref name="wiki" />
 
=== The Marshall Project ===
 
Sam became the first formerly incarcerated woman to serve on the board of directors of The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization that focuses on criminal justice issues. Her appointment represented an important milestone in elevating the voices of those with lived experience in the criminal justice system to positions of organizational leadership.<ref name="grio" />
 
== Presidential Pardon ==
 
On December 23, 2020, President Donald Trump granted Topeka Sam a full pardon.<ref name="wiki" />
 
=== White House Statement ===
 
The White House cited Sam's extensive efforts in criminal justice reform as the basis for the pardon, recognizing her transformation from federal inmate to nationally recognized reform advocate. The pardon acknowledged her work founding Ladies of Hope Ministries, her role in the Alice Marie Johnson case, and her advocacy for the First Step Act.
 
=== Facilitation ===
 
The pardon was facilitated by businessman Daniel Loeb, a hedge fund manager who lobbied the White House on Sam's behalf. Loeb's involvement came through a partnership between one of his companies and Sam's organization, Ladies of Hope Ministries. Loeb had become interested in criminal justice reform and saw Sam's case as an example of successful rehabilitation that deserved recognition.<ref name="nola">NOLA.com, "Activist Topeka K. Sam, pardoned by Trump, visits New Orleans home for ex-incarcerated women," April 2021, https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/activist-topeka-k-sam-pardoned-by-trump-visits-new-orleans-home-for-ex-incarcerated-women/article_c7848876-9be0-11eb-a0c6-9f7b559e0a2d.html</ref>
 
== Later Achievements ==
 
=== Google Social Impact Award ===
 
On May 5, 2022—exactly seven years to the day after her release from federal prison—Sam was honored with Google's inaugural Social Impact Award for her work to reduce rates of incarceration among women. The award included a $100,000 grant to support her continued advocacy work.<ref name="wiki" />
 
=== Honorary Doctorate ===
 
In May 2022, Sam received an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity from New York Theological Seminary, recognizing her spiritual leadership and advocacy work. She has subsequently been referred to as "Dr. Topeka K. Sam" in professional contexts.<ref name="drsite">Dr. Topeka K. Sam Official Website, "About," https://www.drtopekaksam.com/about</ref>
 
=== Media Career ===
 
Sam hosted "The Topeka K. Sam Show" on SiriusXM Urban View Channel 126 for three years, providing a platform for discussions about criminal justice reform, women's issues, and second chances. She has also worked as an executive producer developing scripted and unscripted television and film content related to criminal justice themes.
 
Her media appearances have included The Tamron Hall Show, CNN, MSNBC, and The Today Show, and she has been featured in publications including Vogue, Essence, Rolling Stone, Variety, and The New York Times.<ref name="drsite" />
 
=== Additional Organizations and Fellowships ===
 
Beyond Ladies of Hope Ministries, Sam is the founder and President of EPIC Financial PBLLC, TKS Ventures LLC, and Faces & Voices Inc. She co-founded Music Thera-P and MyFRSH financial services. She has served as a fellow at Columbia University and sits on the boards of Operation Restoration, Pure Legacee, and the United Justice Coalition, while advising RBIJ (Restoring Balance in Justice) and HARP (Helping Americans Restore Prosperity).<ref name="drsite" />


== Frequently Asked Questions ==
== Frequently Asked Questions ==
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{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What did Topeka Sam do?
|question = What did Topeka Sam do?
|answer = Sam pleaded guilty to her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced to 130 months (nearly 11 years) in federal prison in January 2013. A federal judge labeled her a "drug queenpin" at sentencing. Prior to her arrest, she led a double life as an entrepreneur running an online mobile phone case boutique while facilitating large-scale cocaine transactions on the East Coast, including one involving 80 kilograms of cocaine.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="honey" />
|answer = Sam pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. Federal prosecutors tied her to a drug conspiracy that involved the acquisition of cocaine, including a transaction of 80 kilograms. She had run an online phone-case business while coordinating cocaine transactions on the East Coast.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="wh" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = Was Topeka Sam pardoned?
|question = How long was Topeka Sam in prison?
|answer = Yes, President Trump granted Sam a full pardon on December 23, 2020, citing her efforts in criminal justice reform. The pardon was facilitated by businessman Daniel Loeb, whose company had partnered with Sam's organization. Sam had already served her sentence and been released in 2015.<ref name="nola" />
|answer = She received a 130-month sentence in 2013. She wrote to the judge, filed an appeal, and completed the Residential Drug Abuse Program. Her sentence was reduced, and she was released from FCI Danbury on May 5, 2015, after serving about three years.<ref name="wiki" /><ref name="wh" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = How long was Topeka Sam in prison?
|question = Was Topeka Sam pardoned?
|answer = Sam was sentenced to 130 months (nearly 11 years) in federal prison in January 2013. However, she successfully appealed her sentence, wrote to the judge, and completed the RDAP drug treatment program. She was released from [[FCI Danbury]] on May 5, 2015, having served approximately three years.<ref name="wiki" />
|answer = Yes. President Trump granted her a full pardon on December 23, 2020, citing her criminal justice reform work. She had already served her sentence and been released in 2015.<ref name="wh" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = Who is Topeka Sam?
|question = Who is Topeka Sam?
|answer = Sam is a criminal justice reform advocate who founded Ladies of Hope Ministries in 2017. She helped bring attention to Alice Marie Johnson's case through a viral video, leading to Kim Kardashian lobbying Trump for Johnson's clemency. Sam spoke at the White House Prison Reform Summit in 2018, became the first formerly incarcerated board member of The Marshall Project, and received Google's inaugural Social Impact Award in 2022.<ref name="be" /><ref name="grio" />
|answer = Sam is a criminal justice reform advocate who founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries in 2017. She helped bring attention to Alice Marie Johnson's clemency case, spoke at a 2018 White House prison reform summit, and joined the board of The Marshall Project. In 2022 she received Google's first Social Impact Award.<ref name="be" /><ref name="variety" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What is Ladies of Hope Ministries?
|question = What is The Ladies of Hope Ministries?
|answer = Ladies of Hope Ministries is a non-profit founded by Sam in 2017 to help women transition after incarceration. It provides education, housing, and grocery resources through programs like the Angel Food Delivery Program, which has delivered over 9,000 bags of groceries to affected families. Sam also established Hope House NYC in the Bronx to provide transitional housing for female parolees.<ref name="nolan" />
|answer = The Ladies of Hope Ministries is a nonprofit Sam founded in 2017 to help women return home after incarceration. It runs programs in education, housing, and food assistance, including the Angel Food delivery program and Hope House NYC, a transitional residence in the Bronx for women on parole.<ref name="nolan" /><ref name="lohm" />
}}
}}


{{FAQ
{{FAQ
|question = What was Topeka Sam's connection to Alice Marie Johnson's release?
|question = What was Topeka Sam's role in Alice Marie Johnson's release?
|answer = Sam produced a viral video about Alice Marie Johnson, a grandmother serving life for a first-time nonviolent drug offense. The video caught Kim Kardashian's attention, who then lobbied President Trump directly for Johnson's clemency. Trump granted Johnson clemency in 2018 and a full pardon in 2020. Sam's storytelling helped launch one of the most high-profile clemency cases in recent history.<ref name="be" />
|answer = Sam produced a video about Johnson, a grandmother serving a life sentence for a first-time nonviolent drug offense. The video reached Kim Kardashian, who lobbied President Trump directly. Trump granted Johnson clemency in 2018 and a full pardon in 2020.<ref name="be" />
}}
}}


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== References ==
== References ==


<references />
<references>
<ref name="wh">{{cite web |title=Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-press-secretary-regarding-executive-grants-clemency-122320/ |publisher=The White House |date=2020-12-23 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="wiki">{{cite web |title=Topeka Sam |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topeka_Sam |publisher=Wikipedia |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="honey">{{cite web |title=Topeka K. Sam: Hope and Healing Incarcerated Women's Trauma |url=https://honeysucklemag.com/topeka-k-sam-ladies-of-hope-ministries-incarcerated-women/ |publisher=Honeysuckle Magazine |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="grio">{{cite news |title=Topeka K. Sam doesn't want Black women left out of the conversation on mass incarceration |url=https://thegrio.com/2019/12/09/topeka-k-sam-doesnt-want-black-women-left-out-of-the-conversation-on-mass-incarceration/ |work=TheGrio |date=2019-12-09 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="be">{{cite news |title=Topeka Sam, the Woman Who Facilitated a Trump Clemency, Talks Power of Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/topeka-sam-trump-johnson-clemency/ |work=Black Enterprise |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="nolan">{{cite web |title=Highlighting Women in Criminal Justice Reform: Topeka Sam |url=https://conservativejusticereform.org/highlighting-women-in-criminal-justice-reform-topeka-sam/ |publisher=Nolan Center for Justice |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="lohm">{{cite web |title=Founder Dr. Topeka K. Sam |url=https://thelohm.org/about-us/founder |publisher=The Ladies of Hope Ministries |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="variety">{{cite news |last=Aguilar |first=Carlos |title=Topeka K. Sam to Receive Google's Inaugural Social Impact Award for Work With Formerly Incarcerated Women |url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/features/google-topeka-sam-incarcerated-women-1235257678/ |work=Variety |date=2022-05-05 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="drsite">{{cite web |title=About Dr. Topeka K. Sam |url=https://www.drtopekaksam.com/about |publisher=Dr. Topeka K. Sam |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
<ref name="nola">{{cite news |title=Activist Topeka K. Sam, pardoned by Trump, visits New Orleans home for ex-incarcerated women |url=https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/activist-topeka-k-sam-pardoned-by-trump-visits-new-orleans-home-for-ex-incarcerated-women/article_c7848876-9be0-11eb-a0c6-9f7b559e0a2d.html |work=NOLA.com |date=2021-04 |access-date=2026-06-03}}</ref>
</references>


{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam, Topeka}}
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{{MetaDescription|Topeka Sam, criminal justice reform advocate, was convicted of drug trafficking and pardoned by Trump in December 2020 for her advocacy work for incarcerated women.}}
{{MetaDescription|Topeka K. Sam, founder of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, served three years for a federal cocaine conspiracy and was pardoned in 2020. Her case, advocacy, and recognition.}}

Latest revision as of 13:49, 3 June 2026

Topeka Kimberly Sam
Born:
Long Island, New York
Charges: Conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine
Sentence: 130 months
Facility: FCI Danbury
Status: Released


Topeka Kimberly Sam is an American criminal justice reform advocate and the founder of The Ladies of Hope Ministries, a nonprofit that helps women returning home from incarceration. She pleaded guilty in 2013 to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and received a 130-month federal sentence.[1] She served roughly three years and was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, on May 5, 2015.[2][1]

After her release, Sam built a career around reentry work for women. She started The Ladies of Hope Ministries, opened a transitional house in the Bronx, and pushed for changes to how prisons treat women and mothers. She helped draw national attention to the clemency case of Alice Marie Johnson. She spoke at a White House summit on prison reform in 2018 and joined the board of The Marshall Project, the criminal justice news organization.[3][4]

President Donald Trump granted Sam a full pardon on December 23, 2020. The White House statement called her life "a story of redemption" and credited her advocacy for the First Step Act.[1] In 2022 she received Google's first Social Impact Award, which carried a $100,000 grant, and an honorary doctorate from New York Theological Seminary.[4][5]

Background and Conviction

Sam grew up on Long Island, New York, in a predominantly white neighborhood. Her parents ran businesses. They owned a Carvel ice cream franchise in Brooklyn and later opened a restaurant in Harlem.[6] She has described her childhood as comfortable. "We had every single opportunity," she told one interviewer. "I had the piano lessons, the dance lessons."[3]

She enrolled at Morgan State University, a historically Black university in Baltimore. She has said she chose an HBCU to be around people who shared her background, a contrast to the neighborhood where she was raised.[2]

At Morgan State she began dating a man who sold drugs. She started connecting buyers with sellers. That role grew. By her own account, she watched how easily money moved through the trade and decided she could run it herself.[6] After college she kept at it. She coordinated cocaine transactions on the East Coast while presenting herself as a businesswoman. She ran an online phone-case shop and held a position at a transportation agency. She has called it "a double life."[2]

Federal agents arrested her on April 24, 2012. Prosecutors tied her to a drug conspiracy that involved the acquisition of cocaine, including a transaction of 80 kilograms.[2] The case was charged in the Eastern District of Virginia, a court known for moving cases fast.

On January 11, 2013, Sam pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine.[1] The judge sentenced her to 130 months. The sentence reflected the drug quantities and the federal mandatory minimums that apply to large cocaine conspiracies. She was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, a low-security prison for women.[6][1]

Incarceration

FCI Danbury has held a number of well-known inmates, among them Martha Stewart. Sam spent about three years there. What she saw shaped the work she would do afterward.

She has described watching women give birth in handcuffs and then lose access to their newborns. She has said sanitary products were rationed so tightly that women made pads from scraps of bedding.[6][3] "I knew I was called to do this work when I was in prison," she later said.[3]

Sam worked to shorten her sentence. She wrote to the judge. She filed an appeal. She completed the Residential Drug Abuse Program, a Bureau of Prisons treatment course that can take up to a year off a sentence for inmates who finish it.[2] Her sentence was reduced. She was released on May 5, 2015, after serving roughly three years of the 130-month term.[2][1]

Advocacy and The Ladies of Hope Ministries

Sam founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries in 2017. The nonprofit helps women rebuild after prison. It works on education, housing, food, and emotional support for women and their families.[7][1]

The organization runs several programs. The Angel Food delivery program addresses food insecurity in families touched by incarceration. By December 2022 it had delivered more than 9,000 bags of groceries.[8] Hope House NYC, in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, gives women on parole a place to live as they reenter society. Sam set it up with Vanee Sykes, who had also been incarcerated.[8] Other programs help women learn job skills and start their own businesses.[7]

Sam helped bring the case of Alice Marie Johnson into the national conversation. Johnson, a grandmother, was serving a life sentence for a first-time nonviolent drug offense and had been in federal prison for more than two decades. Sam produced a video about Johnson's case. It spread on social media and reached Kim Kardashian, who took the case to the Trump administration and met the president in the Oval Office.[9] Trump granted Johnson clemency in June 2018, and she walked out after 21 years. He pardoned her in 2020.[9]

Sam co-founded the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Through that group she worked with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker on the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, a bill aimed at conditions for women and mothers behind bars.[3] She backed the First Step Act, the federal reform law Trump signed in December 2018. The law cut some mandatory minimums, expanded reentry support, and reworked the good-time credit system.[1]

In 2018 Sam spoke at a White House summit on prison reform. She described the conditions she had seen, including the lack of sanitary products and the separation of mothers from their children.[2] She also joined the board of The Marshall Project, becoming the first formerly incarcerated woman to serve on it.[4]

Recognition

President Trump granted Sam a full pardon on December 23, 2020. The White House statement called her life "a story of redemption" and said she had become "a powerful advocate for criminal justice reform" after completing three years of her sentence. It named her work with The Ladies of Hope Ministries and her support for the First Step Act. The statement listed Alice Johnson and David Safavian among those who backed the pardon.[1]

Reporting later described a separate effort on her behalf. According to NOLA.com, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb lobbied the White House for Sam's pardon after one of his companies partnered with The Ladies of Hope Ministries.[10]

On May 5, 2022, seven years to the day after her release, Google named Sam the recipient of its first Social Impact Award for her work to reduce incarceration among women. The award included a $100,000 grant.[4] That same month she received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from New York Theological Seminary. She is often referred to as Dr. Topeka K. Sam.[5]

Sam hosted a show on SiriusXM's Urban View channel. She has appeared on programs including The Tamron Hall Show, CNN, MSNBC, and Today, and has been featured in Vogue, Essence, Rolling Stone, Variety, and The New York Times.[5] She sits on the boards of Operation Restoration, Pure Legacee, and the United Justice Coalition.[4]

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What did Topeka Sam do?

Sam pleaded guilty in January 2013 to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. Federal prosecutors tied her to a drug conspiracy that involved the acquisition of cocaine, including a transaction of 80 kilograms. She had run an online phone-case business while coordinating cocaine transactions on the East Coast.[2][1]



Q: How long was Topeka Sam in prison?

She received a 130-month sentence in 2013. She wrote to the judge, filed an appeal, and completed the Residential Drug Abuse Program. Her sentence was reduced, and she was released from FCI Danbury on May 5, 2015, after serving about three years.[2][1]



Q: Was Topeka Sam pardoned?

Yes. President Trump granted her a full pardon on December 23, 2020, citing her criminal justice reform work. She had already served her sentence and been released in 2015.[1]



Q: Who is Topeka Sam?

Sam is a criminal justice reform advocate who founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries in 2017. She helped bring attention to Alice Marie Johnson's clemency case, spoke at a 2018 White House prison reform summit, and joined the board of The Marshall Project. In 2022 she received Google's first Social Impact Award.[9][4]



Q: What is The Ladies of Hope Ministries?

The Ladies of Hope Ministries is a nonprofit Sam founded in 2017 to help women return home after incarceration. It runs programs in education, housing, and food assistance, including the Angel Food delivery program and Hope House NYC, a transitional residence in the Bronx for women on parole.[7][8]



Q: What was Topeka Sam's role in Alice Marie Johnson's release?

Sam produced a video about Johnson, a grandmother serving a life sentence for a first-time nonviolent drug offense. The video reached Kim Kardashian, who lobbied President Trump directly. Trump granted Johnson clemency in 2018 and a full pardon in 2020.[9]


See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 "Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grants of Clemency". The White House. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Topeka Sam". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Topeka K. Sam doesn't want Black women left out of the conversation on mass incarceration".TheGrio.2019-12-09.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Topeka K. Sam to Receive Google's Inaugural Social Impact Award for Work With Formerly Incarcerated Women".Aguilar, Carlos.Variety.2022-05-05.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "About Dr. Topeka K. Sam". Dr. Topeka K. Sam. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Topeka K. Sam: Hope and Healing Incarcerated Women's Trauma". Honeysuckle Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Highlighting Women in Criminal Justice Reform: Topeka Sam". Nolan Center for Justice. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Founder Dr. Topeka K. Sam". The Ladies of Hope Ministries. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Topeka Sam, the Woman Who Facilitated a Trump Clemency, Talks Power of Entrepreneurship".Black Enterprise.Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  10. ↑ "Activist Topeka K. Sam, pardoned by Trump, visits New Orleans home for ex-incarcerated women".NOLA.com.2021-04.Retrieved 2026-06-03.


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