Kim Kardashian Pays Ex-Con's Rent for Years

Matthew Charles was convicted of a non-violent drug offense
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 23, 2019 1:53 PM CDT
Kim Kardashian Makes Former Inmate's Dream Come True
In this Feb. 13, 2019 file photo, Matthew Charles joins a news conference at the Cordell Hull building in Nashville advocating for Tennessee legislation to make it easier for some felons to get their voting rights restored.   (AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise, File)

With Kim Kardashian West pledging to cover five years of rent, one of the first inmates released after federal sentencing reforms says he has finally found a new home, the AP reports. In a Facebook post Friday, Matthew Charles thanked Kardashian West and others for helping to overcome what he called a "nonsensical barrier." Charles told the Tennessean earlier this month he couldn't find permanent housing since his release, partly due to his criminal history.

"I'm pretty distraught about it because it's not allowing me to have a full second chance," he said. Kardashian-West, an advocate for criminal justice reform, then reached out with the offer. Convicted of a nonviolent drug offense in 1996, Charles received national attention because he was ordered back to prison in 2018, two years after his release. He was released on Jan. 3 and was invited to attend President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, where he was recognized by Trump.

(More Kim Kardashian stories.)

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