Jackson asks president to pardon former federal inmates

By Chinta Strausberg, Chicago Crusader

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson and Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown called on the president to pardon those who have paid their dues for federal crimes.

With homicides spiraling towards 800 in Chicago, Rev. Jackson spoke about the gun violence in the city and how a total of 4,330 people have been shot and so far there have been 785 homicides. “Guns are coming in. Drugs are coming in and jobs are going out.”

Referring to President elect Donald Trump, Jackson said he made a “gesture to urban America” but that “we have a plan…urban reconstruction in Chicago. We need a White House conference on violence, causes and cures, a plan for gender and disparities and the impact of poverty.” Jackson said what is needed is to put Chicago and urban American back to work.

SKYE JACKSON 13 DOROTHY BROWN YUSEF JACKSON 7
JACKSON’S GRANDCHILDREN WITH Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown. From l-r, Skye Jackson, Dorothy Brown and Yusef Jackson.

On the issue of those who have served their time in federal prison but now “cannot get jobs because they still have a bulls eye on their backs, Rev. Jackson said, “Those who have served their federal time should be pardoned. They should not be in some kind of political purgatory….” “The president has the sole power to pardon those who served their time for federal crimes” Jackson said.

Clerk Brown agreed with Jackson saying, “those individuals who have paid their debt to society, it serves us better if we can help them get back on their feet, help them clear their records.”

“I am in full support because of the expungement seminars I have every year,” said Brown who conducts community expungement seminars. “We’ve already started on the West Side, and we will be doing it on the South Side. We will be doing this every month, helping people understand that they can get their records expunged.”

Brown announced that beginning January 1, 2017, juveniles will not have to pay to get their records expunged. “Also, individuals arrested but not charged and found not-guilty, they will be able to get their records expunged for free….”

SKYE JACKSON 13 HANDING LADY A TURKEY
SKYE JACKSON WAS among the volunteers handing out turkeys, foodbags and gifts for the holiday at PUSH headquarters for Christmas.

During the PUSH broadcast, Jonathan Jackson said he is proud of his father “who has been here (at PUSH) for 45-years. Some of you can’t stand to be around your family for 45-minutes.”

He challenged listeners to get involved. “My father has always told me it is time to make an excuse or make a way. I am not afraid of Mr. Donald J. Trump.”

“Don’t be afraid of Mr. Donald J. Trump. Three’s a trump card. There’s a heart. There is a diamond…there is a spade. We are going to make sure that Trump is not the wild joker. He cannot take us back in time. We know the lessons of history….”

The younger Jackson said “It’s time to stand up. Fight back. Don’t have your head down…. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King told us if you want to get a man off of your back, you simply got to stand up…. I look forward to the Trump presidency because he’s got to deal with us. We’re not afraid of Donald Trump.”

 

 

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