Kwame Kilpatrick, who served as mayor of Detroit until he was undone in a scandal, imprisoned and eventually pardoned, has been appointed the new leader of a nonprofit in Memphis that focuses on criminal justice reform. 

According to the Kilpatrick will be the executive director of Taking Action for Good (TAG), where he’ll work remotely and alongside its CEO Alice Marie Johnson, the founder of the organization.

In a press release issued on Monday (Nov. 13), TAG noted that Kilpatrick will "educate the public about the importance of criminal justice reforms, tell the stories of those who have been failed by the system, and work to bring deserving people home.”

"I am thrilled to 'tag' Kwame into our team," Johnson stated in the release. "He and I have a shared experience of having been incarcerated, which makes us invaluable allies to the people who are still caught in the system because we understand what it will take to improve it. His commitment to faith and uplifting others makes him a perfect fit for TAG, and I look forward to working with him to continue to change the criminal justice system for the better, reunite more families, and keep our communities safe."

As CEO of TAG, Johnson has first-hand experience with the impact of the criminal justice system. She was convicted on eight criminal counts for her connection with a cocaine distribution operation and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole in 1996. After serving 21 years in prison, Kim Kardashian lobbied for her release, and her sentence was commuted by former President Donald Trump in 2018.

Kilpatrick also had his sentence commuted by Trump in January 2021 after serving six and half years of a 28-year federal prison sentence for racketeering, fraud, extortion, tax crimes, and bribery. He resigned in September 2008 following years of public scandals in his administration which brought an end to his second term as mayor. During his imprisonment, Johnson and Kardashian advocated for his release.

In a statement, Kilpatrick expressed his gratitude to Johnson for being one of his biggest advocates and is anticipating serving in his new role.

"I will forever be grateful to Alice for helping me get my second chance, and I am looking forward to helping other deserving people get their own second chances in my new role with Taking Action for Good," Kilpatrick said in a statement. "The seven years I spent in prison opened my eyes to the faults in our nation's criminal justice system. It was during that time that I found my calling to serve God and help others find their own redemption. TAG does amazing work in this vein, and I am thrilled to be a part of it."

Although his new post is a full-time position,  Kilpatrick will continue to lead Movemental Ministries, a church that he recently founded in Georgia.