Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. released from halfway house

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) was released Monday from a halfway house in Baltimore where he had been since March after spending 17 months in federal prison for misusing campaign funds.

“It’s a great day to be home, a great day to be with my family and my friends,” Jackson Jr. told the Associated Press from the front porch of his Washington D.C. home. 

He will remain on house arrest until the middle of September and then serve three years of probation. 

{mosads}Jackson, the son of iconic civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, was sentenced in 2013 to 30 months after pleading guilty to one felony fraud count after prosecutors charged him with illegally spending $750,000 of campaign funds on a number of lavish personal items.

His purchases included Michael Jackson and Bruce Lee paraphernalia, a Rolex watch, and a fur jacket. His wife also received a one-year sentence on tax charges. 

The court allowed Jackson and his wife, Sandi, to serve back-to-back sentences so that their two children would not be left alone. Jackson’s return to his home signals that his wife could head to jail soon.

Jackson resigned from Congress in 2012 amidst the federal investigation and while receiving treatment for bipolar disorder. 

“He’s doing really well,” Rev. Jackson told the AP in a phone interview about his son.

“He’s close to permanent release. He is emotionally and physically strong. His family is delighted, and so are we.”