US President Donald Trump has commuted the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, who had served more than 20 years in prison on a first-time drug offence.

Key points: The White House says Alice Marie Johnson "has accepted responsibility for her past behaviour"

The White House says Alice Marie Johnson "has accepted responsibility for her past behaviour" It also says she is working hard to rehabilitate herself and serve as a mentor to fellow inmates

It also says she is working hard to rehabilitate herself and serve as a mentor to fellow inmates Kim Kardashian West expressed gratitude on Twitter to everyone "who has showed compassion"

The 63-year-old was released from federal prison hours after Mr Trump's order, with footage showing her running toward her family, throwing her arms open wide and embracing them in front of a crowd of onlookers.

Her cause had been taken up by celebrity Kim Kardashian West, who personally lobbied Mr Trump on her behalf last week.

A White House official familiar with the clemency process said Mr Trump continues to examine the cases of people who he believes have been victims of the criminal justice system.

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Mr Trump's decision comes amid a recent flurry of pardons issued by the President, who has seemed drawn to causes advocated by conservatives, celebrities or those who once appeared on his former reality show, The Apprentice.

This use of executive power is taking place against the backdrop of the Russia investigation that hangs over his presidency.

The White House said Ms Johnson "has accepted responsibility for her past behaviour" and has been a model prisoner, working hard to rehabilitate herself and serve as a mentor to fellow inmates.

It said Ms Johnson's warden, case manager, and vocational training instructor had written letters in support of her clemency.

In an interview with Mic, Kardashian West said she'd been moved by Johnson's story after seeing a video by the news outlet on Twitter.

Kardashian West expressed her gratitude on Twitter "to everyone who has showed compassion & contributed countless hours to this important moment".

"Her commutation is inspirational & gives hope to so many others who are also deserving of a second chance," she wrote.

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The commutation puts a renewed focus on the Trump administration's push for prison and sentencing changes, an effort that sometimes has clashed with the president's law-and-order approach, especially at the Justice Department.

Mr Trump has called for getting tougher on drug dealers, including suggesting some should receive the death penalty.

Ms Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation involving more than a dozen people.

The 1994 indictment describes dozens of deliveries and drug transactions, many involving Ms Johnson.

She was sentenced to life in prison in 1997. Appeals court judges and the Supreme Court rejected her appeals.

Court records show she has a motion pending for a reduction in her sentence, but federal prosecutors are opposed, saying in a court filing that the sentence is in accord with federal guidelines, based on the large quantity of drugs involved.

The US attorney's office in Memphis did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday (local time).

A criminal justice advocacy site, CAN-DO, and one of Johnson's lawyers said a request for clemency was rejected when Barack Obama was president. The reasons are unclear.

Kardashian West visited the White House in May to meet with Jared Kushner, Mr Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, who is overseeing the administration's push to overhaul the nation's prison system.

She also met with Mr Trump in the Oval Office, a photograph of which the President released on Twitter.

AP/Reuters