Ex-congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. makes prison requests

Fredreka Schouten | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Former congressman Jesse Jackson, scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday for misusing campaign funds, would prefer to serve any prison time he may get near his wife and children in Washington, his lawyers told a federal judge this week.

The Illinois Democrat is asking to be assigned to a minimum-security federal prison camp on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., or Butner-Low, a low-security facility near Durham, N.C. Bernard Madoff, convicted of the nation's largest Ponzi scheme, is behind bars at a medium-security facility that is part of the Butner prison complex.

His lawyers note that Jackson has ties to the area, having graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro.

Prosecutors have recommended a four-year sentence for Jackson, who pleaded guilty in February to using $750,000 in campaign funds to pay for his living expenses and luxury items, including jewelry and furs.

His wife, former Chicago alderman Sandi Jackson, has pleaded guilty to falsifying the couple's tax returns. Prosecutors have recommended 18 months for her, but not to be served as the same time as her husband.

Sandi Jackson also is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday. Her lawyers are seeking probation.

In a letter filed Tuesday with the court, an official with a Washington charity, Martha's Table, said the group would welcome Sandi Jackson volunteering in the program to meet any community-service requirements imposed by the judge. The charity provides meals, clothing and educational help to low-income individuals and families.

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