The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. -- Thomas Jackson, a longtime youth mentor who started the group Youth Need Prime Time and harbored political ambitions, has died.
Jackson was a youth pastor at Resurrection Temple Church, a former U.S. Marine and a General Motors Corp. retiree. A Republican, Jackson said he entered politics to balance party power in Madison County. He won a seat on the Madison County Council in 2002 before being disqualified for a felony conviction of attempted robbery in 1977. Current councilman Buddy Patterson won a seat the same year under similar circumstances, but appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals. In recent years, Jackson served as a Republican recount commissioner on local elections.
The Herald Bulletin last spoke to Jackson in 2007 while working with Youth Need Prime Time and preparing a student visit to Pendleton Correctional Facility.
"I've seen a lot of kids go to prison from this program, and they come back and say they wish they had listened," Jackson said.
As part of Youth Need Prime Time, Jackson opened Prime Time Deli at 604 W. 29th St., where young people in the program prepared food to better understand the workplace.
Bobbie Alkove participated in Youth Need Prime Time and went on to attend Anderson University. She said the organization changed her life.
"Mr. Jackson taught me respect for myself," Alkove said. "I learned how to be a leader and it (the program) taught me that there are people who care. Youth Need Prime Time was a very major part of my life when I was 15 and 16."
