*After serving a two and half year prison sentence, former Rep. Patrick Kennedy says former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. will be released from federal prison today (March 26).
Kennedy, a mental health advocate, spoke to USA Today and confirmed that Jackson will spend the rest of his sentence in a halfway house in Washington D.C.
Commenting on his in-person visit, Kennedy told the publication that Jackson had a “hopeful spirit” while mentioning that the Jackson spoke with him about the “felonization” of black men during their visit.
Jackson, the son of civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson, has been in prison since October 2013. He ended up behind bars after pleading guilty to using campaign money to buy more than $750,000 worth of luxury items.
Jackson was originally housed in a North Carolina prison, where he got involved in a dispute that landed him in solitary confinement for several days. According to reports, Jackson was educating his fellow inmates on their rights while in prison when a guard “took exception to that.” Although a hearing determined the former congressman was not guilty of any wrongdoing, Jackson still requested to be transferred to another facility. He is currently serving time in a prison in Alabama.
USA Today notes that Jackson started seeking treatment for bipolar disorder at the Mayo Clinic.
Meanwhile, once Jackson is released from his sentence, his wife, Sandi Jackson, will start serving her sentence after pleading guilty to filing false tax returns.
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