Jesse Jackson Jr. Released From Halfway House In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Former Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. was released from a Baltimore halfway house. Jackson, who went to prison for misuse of campaign funds, is now on home detention.
Pat Warren has more on his release.
In his own words, Jackson spent his incarceration and community service cleaning up filth but calls his community service in Baltimore enlightening.
He moved from a Baltimore halfway house on to home detention with a bracelet on his ankle.
"My GPS, which is my home monitoring device, which I will be wearing for the next 90 days," he said.
Jackson has been in Baltimore since March 26, volunteering in part at Roberta's House.
"Roberta's House in Baltimore, where children who have been affected by gun violence, people who have experienced sudden loss as a result of trauma. I chose Roberta's House in part because this has been a traumatic experience for me and my family. To see other people wrestling with trauma at different levels was informative to me and comforting to me and helpful in my thinking going forward. Trauma is very difficult and my actions have traumatized my family," he said.
Jackson was sentenced to prison in 2013 for misuse of campaign funds as an Illinois Congressman, telling reporters, "Today, it is important to be better, not bitter."
"I cleaned toilets; I cleaned hallways; I cleaned offices; I cleaned up behind extraordinary filth. Again, my experience was no different from anyone who was there," he said.
The family's legal experience continues as Jackson's wife, Sandy, begins serving a one year sentence for tax evasion sometime in October.
"I'm hopeful that over the course of the next year or so that I'm able to provide some comfort to my wife as she essentially experiences the same experience," he said.
Jackson will be under detention at the family home outside Washington DC, where his children attend school. He'll be on home detention until the end of September; he is looking for a job.
He says he'll continue to receive mental health treatment for bipolar disorder, which was part of his plea for leniency.