Photo Credit: Associated Press
Kim Kardashian’s dedication to prison reform took center stage in the latest episode of The Kardashians, where she visited Growlersburg Conservation Camp in Northern California alongside Kendall Jenner, Scott Disick, and Olivia Pierson. The group was joined by Scott Budnick, founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, who has worked with Kim for years to support rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals.
During the visit, Kim sat down with a group of young inmates working as wildfire firefighters—a program designed to help them earn a fresh start by expunging their records. When one inmate asked what sparked her passion for prison reform, Kim shared a personal story from her youth that left her reflecting on how differently her life could have turned out.
“I sat in a room like this, and this one girl said, ‘My boyfriend had me go get drugs or pick something up at this apartment, and I didn’t know some s**t was going to go down, and someone died,’” Kim recalled. She then admitted, “One time, my friend had me go pick up like ecstasy at this apartment, and what if something happened? I literally thought that.”
Kendall Jenner, unable to contain her laughter, told Olivia, “She’s so Elle Woods right now,” referencing Legally Blonde. Kendall later confessed, “The reason I lost it is because I saw the officer basically (facepalm). It was so Legally Blonde or something.”
Kim acknowledged that if something had gone wrong, she could have called her father, Robert Kardashian, a renowned attorney. “I really just thought to myself, this is so crazy. These people need help,” she said. “The more I got into it, the more I heard stories. It gets so overwhelming because every part of the system is so f***ed up.”
Budnick highlighted the importance of fire camps within the prison system, explaining, “You can actually spend the last two to three years of incarceration in a fire camp in the woods with no fence, going out every day with CalFire and battling the biggest fires that are destroying entire communities.”
Kim emphasized that the inmates in the program were under 26 years old, and their successful completion meant their felony records would be erased, allowing them to secure jobs as firefighters upon release.
One firefighter, Kimbo, noted, “We’re doing some of the hardest work imaginable,” adding that Kim’s visit helped shine a light on their efforts. Kendall, deeply moved, called the experience “inspiring,” while Olivia shared, “My grandfather, two uncles, and my cousins are all firemen, so this means a lot.”
Kim expressed her admiration for the program, saying, “I really love highlighting these rehabilitation programs. Ultimately, we want to feel really safe in our society, and putting money and attention into all of these skills that these men can learn, I think is an important part of this process.”
As the visit wrapped up, Kim, Kendall, Olivia, and Scott took selfies with the firefighters and signed their trucker hats. “Something like this really shows people what you can do and be a better person when you get out,” Scott said, calling the experience “very inspirational.”
Reflecting on the visit, Kim was pleased that her friends had an “eye-opening moment,” reinforcing her commitment to advocating for second chances. “My dad resonates through all of that, and I always feel his energy every time I do something like this,” she said.
