Jesse Jackson Jr. Released From Jail After 1.5 Years

According to The chicago Tribune, Jesse Jackson Jr. has been released from prison after a year and a half. A friend told The Chicago Tribune that he’ll serve the rest of his 2 1/2 year sentence in a halfway house in Washington DC, though the family wouldn’t confirm that. The Tribune says it’s common practice for someone to check into a halfway house briefly only to move to home confinement shortly after. In some cases, on the same day.

Jackson Jr. must also complete 500 hours of community service as part of his sentence.
Upon his release, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. made a statement, saying “there’s a great joy with reunion.”
“And he’s strong, and he’ll do well,” the Trib quotes him saying.
Jackson Jr. tearfully admitted in August 2013 that he misused $750,000 in campaign funds for personal extravagances like furs and vacations. He began serving his sentence that October.
His wife, Sandra Stevens Jackson, was also found guilty of playing a role in the malfeasance and was sentenced to a year in prison. She will begin her sentence in September when Jackson Jr. has served his time. The sentences were staggered because the couple has two young children.