Jesse Jackson Jr. Leaves Halfway House To Begin Home Confinement
Updated 06/22/15 - 5:14 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. returned to his home in Washington, D.C., on Monday, after spending 17 months in federal prison, and another three months in a Baltimore halfway house.
Wearing a tan suit, and an electronic monitoring device, Jackson said his time behind bars was "extraordinary," because it gave him the opportunity to see that his experience was no different from those of millions of others in prison.
"I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone; but if there's a God above — and I believe that there is – the possibility of a new life, and the possibility of being able to look circumspectly and reflectively on one's life, the experience provides that," he said. "There's a silence. There are no cell phones. There's no constant scheduling, and people calling, and moving from Point A to Point B, and there's nowhere to go. There's routine."
After showing off his electronic monitoring device -- which he was wearing over a pair of white socks he wore with his black shoes -- Jackson said prison changed his perspective.
"The things that suddenly seemed important to you before you lost your freedom are suddenly unimportant; like do I care about black or white socks? I don't care. Do I care that my suit has been eaten across the back by moths? I don't care," he said.
Jackson said he will be on home confinement until late September, and then his wife, Sandi, will report to prison in late October, to begin her one one-year prison sentence for tax evasion.
"As all of you know, this is the midpoint of an extraordinary journey for my family. My body is slowly being released from the Bureau of Prisons. I've experienced and I've accepted the consequences of my behavior, my poor judgement, and my actions. My heart has always remained with my family," he said.
Jackson must remain at his home in D.C. for at least eight days, so his electronic monitoring equipment can be tested and calibrated. After that, he must submit a daily schedule to the Bureau of Prisons for approval, including the route he'll take if he leaves the home for any reason, even just to go to the store for milk.
Jackson said he is working on a memoir, but he said he also wants to share the stories of men and women he met while in prison, and at the halfway house in Baltimore.
"I've experienced some things on this journey for which I will write about, and dedicate the rest of my life to," he said. "The crippling effects of poverty, and lack of education, and circular reasoning are at the heart of recidivism and the limited life options of the men and women that I met along this journey."
"They, like me, are in some form of shame, some form of blame, someone else to complain, some more explaining, and guilt; just a trap that seemingly can never be escaped from," he added. "I gained strength every day. Right when I thought my story was the worst possible story that landed me in a federal prison, I would hear someone else's story which was even worse than my story; someone elses's circumstances which would be even worse than my circumstances."
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Jackson was moved from a federal prison camp in Alabama to the halfway house in March, after spending about 17 months in federal prisons in North Carolina and Alabama.
He was able to get six months knocked off his original sentence for completing a substance abuse treatment program while behind bars. He also received credit for good conduct.
While in prison, he also attended daily therapy sessions to help him with bipolar disorder and depression. He said he still suffers from depression, and is continuing therapy and medication to manage his symptoms.
"When I wake up some days, and the world isn't the way I want it to be, how do I feel about it? I feel terrible, and it can drive my entire day. I have been taking my medication, I am managing it well, I'm grateful to the Bureau of Prisons for that routine, and I plan to keep it," he said.
"When he left us he was quite sick, that's what we misread, I think he is in the process of healing now," Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. said.
When asked what advice he would give his son as he begins his quest for a second chance, Jackson Sr. said, "We fall down we get back up again, nothing is too hard for God and the ground is no place for a champion. When champions fall down, they get back up again and keep running."
While on home confinement, he remains under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of prisons until late September. Any movement outside of his house must be preapproved by the prison system.
Jackson, 50, pleaded guilty in 2013 to misusing about $750,000 in campaign funds to pay for his family's lavish lifestyle. According to court documents, the Jacksons made dozens of personal purchases using campaign funds, including: memorabilia autographed by Michael Jackson, Eddie Van Halen, and Bruce Lee; fur coats and capes; two stuffed and mounted elk heads; a $43,500 Rolex; vacations to Disney World and Martha's Vineyard; various electronics; gym memberships; their children's private school tuition; and more.
"I cannot express my deepest regrets to the people of Chicago, to my constituents, for judgments that I made that led to this situation," Jackson said.
He said, when his wife is in prison, he plans to visit her every two weeks, just as she did for him.
"I want to be there for Sandi, I will be there for Sandi, and our family is emerging stronger as a result of the journey," he said.
Jackson said his two children have been handling the situation better than he and his wife have.
Sandi Jackson faces one year in federal prison, after she pleaded guilty to failing to report the campaign cash they spent as income.
Jesse Jackson Jr. served in Congress from 1995 until he resigned in 2012 amid the federal investigation into his spending. Sandi Jackson, who was alderman of the 7th Ward in Chicago at the time, stepped down in February 2013, shortly before pleading guilty to tax charges.
