By Mary Wisniewski
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. is set to be released from prison on Thursday to a halfway house in Washington, D.C., after spending roughly half of his 30-month sentence behind bars, former Congressman Patrick Kennedy said on Wednesday.
Kennedy, a friend of Jackson, said that he met with the former Illinois lawmaker at an Alabama prison on Monday.
Kennedy said Jackson told him his wife, children and parents will be coming to get him on Thursday, before going to D.C.
"I think he's doing great," said Kennedy, noting that the last time he had seen Jackson, he was being treated for bipolar disorder at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and was dealing with the prospect of criminal charges.
"Obviously, he was a lot more relaxed and at ease with himself and with his past and had a sense of resolve that he knew what he had done was wrong and now he looked forward to living and trying to be useful," Kennedy said.
Jackson, 50, once considered one of the most promising black politicians in the country, was sentenced in August 2013 to 30 months in prison for misuse of campaign funds.
Jackson, the son of civil rights leader the Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., had pleaded guilty to misusing about $750,000 in campaign funds on luxuries such as fur capes, celebrity memorabilia, mounted elk heads and a Rolex watch.
His wife, Sandi, a former Chicago city council member, was sentenced to one year for falsifying tax returns that failed to report the campaign money as income.
The judge ordered Sandi Jackson to report to prison 30 days after Jesse Jackson Jr. was released to reduce the impact on their two children.
Jackson Jr. served in Congress from 1995 until he resigned after re-election in 2012, citing health reasons. He was treated for at least six weeks for bipolar disorder at the Mayo Clinic.
He was also sentenced to three years supervised release and ordered to perform 500 hours of community service. Sandi Jackson was given 12 months supervised release after she serves time in prison and 200 hours of community service.
Kennedy said Jackson was concerned about his wife going to prison, but "he's seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."