After spending nearly 18 months behind bars, former congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. is set to be released Thursday from federal prison and transferred to a Washington, D.C. halfway house where he will serve the rest of his prison sentence.

Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island told USA Today that he spoke with Jackson while visiting him on Monday at a minimum security federal prison camp in Montgomery, Alabama.

"I went in there to say hello and catch up and tell him that I wanted to be there for him when he came out. And he told me, 'Guess what? I'm going to be out in almost 48 hours,'" said Kennedy, Jackson's friend and former colleague.

The former Illinois representative began the sentence on Nov. 1, 2013 after pleading guilty to charges related to misusing $750,000 in campaign funds. He confessed to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for personal items including a gold-plated Rolex watch, memorabilia by pop legend Michael Jackson, fur capes, expensive furniture and a $5,000 football signed by American presidents.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons states dates his release as Sept. 20, 2015, however, Kennedy said that he will spend the final months of his sentence in a D.C. halfway house.

"He said Patrick 'I'm gonna be getting out sooner than I thought, getting out this Thursday at 5 a.m.,'" Kennedy told CNN on Tuesday. "His wife and two children and parents are picking him up," he added.

Jackson, who is the son of Civil Rights icon Jesse Jackson, worked as national co-chairman of then-Sen. Barack Obama's 2008 campaign committee. He also represented Illinois's 2nd congressional district in the House of Representatives from 1995 until his resignation in 2012, following allegations of fraud. He cited physical and mental health issues, including bipolar disorder as the reason behind his resignation.

Jackson's wife, former Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, is slated to serve one year in prison for filing false tax returns related to her husband's spending.