Kyle Jackson: A Father’s Footsteps

Like most young boys Kyle Jackson grew up wanting to be just like his father. 

Kyle grew up in the Booneville, Mississippi area and, at the age of eight, his parents divorced in part because of his father’s life of drugs and crime.  

“My dad was my hero,” Kyle said, “and when my mom divorced him, I was mad at her for a long time.” 

Kyle’s father went to prison when Kyle was nine and stayed there until Kyle turned 15. 

“I wanted to be with my dad, and when he got out of prison, I went to live with him,” Kyle said.  “He was living the outlaw life. 

“I lived a pretty good life as a child,” he said.  “My mom worked three and four jobs to make sure we were taken care of, but I couldn’t see it at the time because I wanted so badly to have my dad back.” 

A Dangerous Influence 

When Kyle moved in with his father, things quickly took a turn.  He began smoking marijuana and drinking.  Kyle was introduced to drug use with his father, and it only intensified the older he got.  He graduated from high school and had more freedom, which meant more drug use.  

“I was introduced to meth after I graduated and by the time I was 20 I was headed to prison for the first time.” 

Kyle was sent to prison for cooking meth. 

“It all happened so fast,” he said. “My dad and I were doing drugs together and I was hanging out with a lot of the wrong people.  It sounds weird, but during that time that I was with my dad, it was kind of a way that I could spend time with him that I lost when he was in prison.” 

Wanting to Be Like Dad 

Kyle grew up in an environment where a lot of his family members had been to prison. His mother warned him repeatedly that if he didn’t change his ways, he would end up in the same situation. 

“She used to tell me, ‘You’re going to go to prison just like them,’” Kyle said, “and I remember thinking, ‘Well, this is what’s coming, and I just need to expect it.’  In a lot of ways, when she said that I was going to be just like my dad, it didn’t bother me because he was my hero.” 

As Kyle was preparing for his prison sentence, he became affiliated with a gang for protection on the inside.  He was led to believe that the gang would take care of him in prison, but that was not the case.  

“I quickly learned that prison is a dangerous, lonely place where it doesn’t matter if you are affiliated or not,” Kyle said.  “I learned very quickly that I had to get away from the gang in prison.  It took blood to get you in the gang, and blood to get you out of the gang.” 

In and Out of Prison 

Kyle survived and was released early for good behavior.  He was paroled to his father’s house – an environment full of old influences which eventually led Kyle back to his old habits.  Kyle ended up going to stay with his sister after his dad’s house burned, and during that time he was selling meth. 

“Law enforcement and my parole officer knew it.  They were watching me,” he said. 

Kyle went two weeks without reporting and was arrested in nearby Monroe County by a Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agent.  He was sent to rehab in Corinth, where he stayed for 30 days, but came out no better than when he went in. 

“I got high the day I got out of rehab,” he said. 

Nothing had changed for Kyle, and he ultimately was arrested for another parole violation and went back to prison. 

“Prison isn’t the place you go to get clean,” he said.  “Prison is flooded with drugs, and I was getting high the whole time I was there.” 

After another release and re-arrest, Kyle’s mother knew hope was quickly fading for her son.  Kyle was not reporting to his parole officer, and she knew that if she didn’t do something to get him help, he was going to end up back in prison or worse.  Kyle’s mother delivered him to his parole officer, where they arranged for him to go to the Home of Grace, a Christian recovery program in Vancleave. 

Connection with Tommy Wilson 

Kyle became a Christian while at the Home of Grace and was on a path to healing.  It was there that Kyle met Tommy Wilson from Corinth.  Wilson founded the Freedom Center in Corinth, which houses men recovering from prison and drug addiction. 

“Tommy came to the Home of Grace to preach, and I got to know him,” Kyle said.  “It was during that sermon that I became a Christian and I began to realize that I wanted something more for my life.  It was also during that time that ‘becoming like your dad’ began to take on a different meaning for me.” 

Kyle was eventually kicked out of the Home of Grace because of a rule violation. He accessed a cell phone, which was not allowed during his time in the program. Kyle went home, moved in with his girlfriend, and had a child. 

Guilt and Isolation 

“Tommy was calling me to get me to come to Corinth, but the shame was eating me up,” Kyle said.  “I had cost my mom so much money and was doing good, but I fell flat on my face.  I didn’t ever follow rules, and I was afraid of what Tommy was thinking.” 

Kyle went back to prison two more times for parole violations.  He isolated himself and began using drugs to cope with the failure and loneliness he was feeling. Tommy had been keeping track of Kyle, and Kyle was released to Tommy in August of 2024.  He graduated from The Freedom Center in Corinth and became a team member. 

Finding Support  

“Kyle needed a place to belong, and he needed to know that because you mess up, life isn’t over,” Tommy said.  “He felt a lot of disappointment and shame, but we are working through that.” 

 Today, Kyle has the support of his brothers at The Freedom Center, his family, his girlfriend, and, most importantly, his mom. 

“Nobody is ever too far gone,” Kyle said.  “I’ve been in and out of prison more times than I care to admit, but I’m thankful that people didn’t give up on me.  I’m thankful for that chance that things actually went right, and I was ready to change.  We have to be willing to give people that opportunity, even if it is several times, because you never know when they will take it and their life will change. 

“I got tired of letting people down – mainly my kids,” he said of his two children.  “I knew what my life had been like, and I knew that if I kept doing the same things, I was going to face the same consequences, and the thought of never getting to see my kids again was more than I could face.” 

As he has continued to grow in his faith and find encouragement through his new support system, Kyle knew one thing – he didn’t want his son to live the life he has lived.  

“The thought of my son living life like I have lived is something that I am not OK with, and I know I can do better, so he sees a life he wants to live.” 

Kyle’s mission is for his son to look at him and say, “I’m going to be just like my dad.’”