Kemba Smith

Growing up as an only child in Richmond, Virginia, Kemba Smith Pradia graduated high school and continued her education at the prestigious Hampton University. What happened to Smith Pradia in her new campus environment was a nightmare, leading to a 24.5-year sentence in a federal prison. In December 2000, after serving 6.5 years, President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence to time served.

Smith Pradia shares her traumatic real life experience in her book, “Poster Child: The Kemba Smith Story.” Featured on CNN, Nightline, Court TV, The Early Morning Show, Donahue, Judge Hatchett, and a host of other television programs, Smith Pradia’s story has also been written about in several national publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Glamour, People, JET, Emerge, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and Essence magazines. Moreover, her story is set to be adapted into a film by Rainforest Films.

Smith Pradia is a graduate of both Hampton University and Virginia Union University. She was a past recipient of a two-year Soros Justice Postgraduate Fellowship for advocates. In December 2014, Smith Pradia was appointed a member of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission by Governor Terry McAuliffe, and in 2019, Governor Ralph Northam appointed her to the Virginia Parole Board. She has spoken at the White House, testified before Congress and the United Nations regarding a variety of criminal justice issues including: crack cocaine sentencing, mandatory drug sentencing, women and incarceration, felony disenfranchisement, and re-entry.

Smith Pradia is a popular speaker at colleges, universities, high schools, juvenile facilities, churches, and national conferences across the nation. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her courage and determination to educate the public about the devastating consequences of current drug policies and for her commitment in serving young people. Additionally, she has led trainings for Federal and State Probation organizations throughout the country.

Smith Pradia believes in sharing her story as an educational tool to prevent other youth from going down a similar path. Ultimately, Smith Pradia knows that there is a lesson in each experience in life, and she has embraced her experience, learned from it, and is now using that experience to teach others. She continues to actively serve on the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission and leads the Kemba Smith Foundation, her own non-profit organization dedicated to advocacy and reform.