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Jesse Jackson Jr. leaving prison for halfway house
By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press - 19 hrs ago

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. will be released from a federal prison on Thursday and will serve out the remainder of his term in a Washington, D.C., halfway house, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy told The Associated Press after visiting Jackson.

Kennedy said he spoke with Jackson at the minimum security federal prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama, where the son of the civil rights leader has been serving a 2 ½-year sentence after pleading guilty to illegally spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items.

Jackson, an Illinois Democrat, began the sentence on Nov. 1, 2013. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons lists his release date as Sept. 20, 2015.

Kennedy said he was in the area giving a speech on children's mental health and decided to visit Jackson on Monday.

"You can imagine my surprise when I'm there, and I'm talking to him, and he says, 'I'm leaving Thursday morning,'" Kennedy told the AP.

The Rhode Island Democrat said Jackson, 50, told him he would be picked up from prison by his wife, Sandra; his two children, Jessica and Jesse III; his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson; and his mother, Jacqueline Jackson. His family will then take him to the halfway house.

"He said he'd have to report with his probation officer and he'd have to get some kind of job and start to put his life back together," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said he had not seen Jackson since August 2012, when he visited him at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota after Jackson took a leave from Congress and checked himself in for bipolar disorder. Kennedy has been an outspoken advocate on mental health issues. The two men served as Democrats in Congress together, and both have famous fathers. Kennedy's father was the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Bureau of Prisons spokesman Edmond Ross said he could not confirm that Jackson would be released to a halfway house, saying the bureau does not consider such plans public information.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson directed inquiries to the Bureau of Prisons. He confirmed that Kennedy had met with his son. Messages left for attorneys for Jackson Jr. weren't returned.

Kennedy said Jackson's mental health is much better than the last time he saw him at the Mayo Clinic. Kennedy said Jackson had even put a positive spin on his time in prison, saying it had allowed him to "unplug" from the world.

"He's a lot more at ease with his role and responsibility with what got him into jail," Kennedy said. He added that Jackson "feels he's done his time."

Kennedy said they also talked about what's next.

"He's also very excited about what lies ahead for him in the future, which I think is very hopeful," he said.

Jackson's wife was given a yearlong sentence for filing false tax returns related to her husband's spending. In a concession to their school-age children, the judge allowed the Jacksons to stagger their prison terms, with him serving his sentence first.

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Jesse Jackson Jr. released from halfway house in Baltimore
5 hrs ago


CHICAGO — Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was reunited with family members in Washington, D.C., on Monday after leaving a halfway house where he lived for several months since serving 2½ years in prison for spending $750,000 in campaign money on personal items.

Jackson, a Chicago Democrat, was released from the Volunteers of America halfway house in Baltimore in the morning and left in one of two black SUVs that were there for him. He traveled to his home in Washington, where family members say he's expected to stay.

Jackson must spend three years on supervised release under jurisdiction of the U.S. Probation Office and complete 500 hours of community service.

"He's doing really well," said Jackson's father, civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "He's close to permanent release. He is emotionally and physically strong. His family is delighted and so are we."

The former congressman's children attend school in Washington. At some point, it will be his wife's turn to serve out her punishment on a related conviction. A Chicago-based attorney for former Chicago alderwoman Sandi Jackson didn't immediately have a comment.

The elder Jackson has said he didn't know when his daughter-in-law would have to report to prison. She was sentenced to a year in prison for filing false joint federal income tax returns that knowingly understated the income the couple received. In a concession to the couple's two children, a judge allowed the Jacksons to stagger their sentences, with the husband going first.

Jesse Jackson Jr., an Illinois Democrat, moved into the halfway house after his release in March from an Alabama prison. He pleaded guilty to one felony fraud count in February of 2013 and began his sentence in November.

Jackson served in Congress from 1995 until he resigned in November 2012. In June 2012, he took medical leave for treatment of bipolar disorder and other issues.

The Jacksons spent campaign money on fur capes, mounted elk heads, a $43,350, gold-plated men's Rolex watch and Bruce Lee memorabilia, as well as $9,587.64 on children's furniture, according to court filings.

Jackson's resignation ended a once-promising political career that was tarnished by unproven allegations that he was involved in discussions to raise campaign funds for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for an appointment to President Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Jackson has denied the allegations.
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