Kim Kardashian reveals her interest in prison reform began as teen when she picked up ecstasy

Kim Kardashian’s interest in prison reform was ignited by a pivotal moment during her teen years, she’s revealed.

During Thursday’s episode of The Kardashians, the 44-year-old reality star visited a group of inmates in Sacramento, along with her sister, Kendall Jenner, other sister’s ex-husband Scott Disick, and friend Olivia Pierson.

The inmates, who’ve exhibited good behavior, were in a program where they could spend the last two to three years of their incarceration at a fire camp to expunge their criminal records. This particular group was helping fight wildfires in California.

Kardashian sat down with the group of incarcerated firefighters — all 26 years old and under — and recalled her first time visiting a women’s prison. During that trip, there was an inmate who shared a “crazy” story about being incarcerated after her boyfriend sent her to pick up drugs. This then reminded the Skims founder of an experience she had as a teen.

“One time, my friend had me go pick up ecstasy at this apartment, and like, what if something happened?” she said during the episode. “I don’t wanna name names. I’m getting myself in trouble.”

After Jenner laughed at her sister’s confession, Kardashian noted that if “some s*** went down,” when she was picking up the drug, she’d have someone to turn to.

“I would’ve been able to call my dad and he would’ve helped me,” she said, referring to her late father, esteemed lawyer Robert Kardashian.

Ultimately, her experience as a teenager and her previous conversation with female inmates encouraged Kardashian to learn more about prison reform.

“I really thought to myself: ‘This is just so crazy. These people need help,’” she added. “The more I got into it, the more I heard stories. I was like, ‘Oh, my god. This is so f***ed up.’ Like how do we help here? It gets overwhelming because every part of the system is so f***ed up. It’s crazy.”

During a confessional interview, she acknowledged that her work with prisons was also inspired by her late father.

“I think my passion for prison reform really kind of got sparked with my dad,” she said. “And all of the giving back that he would do and just all the places he would take us to help other people. My dad resonates through all of that and I always feel his energy every time I do something like this.”

She also noted that while it was “really amazing” to meet some of the inmates, she was really pleased that her sister had “an eye-opening moment” at the camp.

“I think every time I do a trip like this, it really just is that battery in my back to keep going,” Kardashian concluded. “And to keep fighting for the guys inside and to wanna finish law school and to just keep doing what I’m doing.”

After visiting the fire camp in August 2024, Kardashian also shared a post on Instagram about the experience. In the caption, she called the program the “first of its kind,” as it allows incarcerated people to get out of prisons and “serve the community.”

“Through this voluntary program they can fully expunge their felony records when they are released and now can go into firefighting careers when they get out,” she wrote in the caption, along with a few photos of the men at the fire camp.”

Amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in January, Kardashian also urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to increase the wages of incarcerated firefighters.

“I have spent the last week watching my city burning,” she wrote in a statement. “And have seen and spoken to many firefighters who are up all night long using every ounce of their strength to save our community.

Kardashian went on to note that the inmate firefighters are “working 24-hour shifts” where they “get paid almost nothing” while carrying out the life-saving work.

According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, incarcerated crew members are paid between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, depending on skill level. But they can earn an additional $1 an hour while assigned to an active emergency regardless of skill – a sum paid by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

“I am urging @cagovernor to do what no Governor has done in 4 decades, and raise the incarcerated firefighter pay to a rate [that] honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes,” Kardashian concluded.