Craig “Loving Lecturer” Jackson

Mr. Jackson, now 44 years old, is a devoted husband and father who has spent most of his life in prison. He has served 28 years of his 37½-years-to-life sentence for a crime that took place when he was 16 years old. To this day, Mr. Jackson maintains his innocence, but he takes full responsibility for the lifestyle he engaged in which placed him in the position to be falsely accused.

Mr. Jackson used his time in prison to transform himself into the man that he is today. He immersed himself in church, rehabilitative programs, and vocational training, and continues to steer other young people onto the right track. During his incarceration, he has strengthened his leadership skills and prepared for life on the outside:

● For the last 18 years, Mr. Jackson has served the Rasta and Laic communities as a priest in the Church of Haile Selassie, as one of only three priests in his prison.

● He was trained as a facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project (“AVP”) workshops and was even named the “Loving Lecturer.”

● He serves as the Vice President and a facilitator of Prisoners for AIDS Counseling and Education (“PACE”) in which he is responsible for developing classes and programs to promote HIV/AIDS awareness.

● In 2018, he spent 6 months in an intensive Character Resurge Program through Project for a Calculated Transition (“PACT”) and for the first time confronted the impact his incarceration had on his loved ones. Some of this conversation was captured on video by the Yale Law Students running the program (available here)

● He completed the Exodus program in 2018, which consisted of sessions for about four hours every week for nine consecutive months on issues of community reentry and resocialization.

Mr. Jackson wants nothing more than to reunite with his family and build a life of which he can be proud.