The prison gates clang shut behind you, but that’s not the end of the battle. It’s merely the beginning of a different kind of fight – one waged against financial ruin, emotional devastation, and a deliberate attempt to extinguish the spirit. I know this firsthand, having been through it myself.
I want to share the story of Jonathan Joseph Copeland, a fellow patriot facing this very struggle. Like so many others, he went to Washington on January 6th, 2021, driven by a belief in his constitutional right to peacefully protest a contested election.
The response was swift and severe. Jonathan was arrested, branded as a domestic terrorist, and subjected to a justice system that seemed determined to make an example of him. Despite being undeniably peaceful – never harming anyone, never breaking anything, never carrying a weapon – he faced an astonishing 30-year sentence request.
Witnesses who could have attested to his peaceful intentions were silenced, and evidence was manipulated to fit a predetermined narrative. The result? Almost six years in federal prison – 71 months – for the “crime” of simply being present.
Prison, he says, nearly broke him. The isolation was crushing, the label of “insurrectionist” hurled by guards, the complete severance from family and the world outside. It was a systematic dismantling of a life.
Thankfully, a pardon arrived with President Trump’s action for all January 6th defendants, and Jonathan was released in January 2025. But freedom came at a devastating cost. His job was gone, his savings depleted, and his home lost the moment he was incarcerated.
Now, Jonathan is starting over, from absolute zero. He’s temporarily staying with family, but that’s not a long-term solution. He lacks a stable place to live, the privacy needed to heal from profound trauma, and the resources to rebuild his life.
The simplest necessities – reliable transportation, funds for a room, even work clothes – are currently beyond his reach. He battles daily with depression, yet remains determined to work, to regain trust, and to stand on his own two feet once more.
This is where we have an opportunity to act. Jonathan isn’t seeking pity, but a second chance after surviving a system designed to break him. We cannot allow those who stood for their beliefs to be left destitute and homeless.
He needs help securing the basic foundations for a new beginning: a safe place to live, a means of transportation, and funds for essential needs. This isn’t just about charity; it’s about refusing to let a regime win by destroying lives.
Jonathan’s story is not unique. The ongoing persecution of those involved in January 6th continues to inflict immense financial and emotional hardship on countless families. The fight doesn’t end with release from prison; it’s a long road to recovery.
We must stand with those who stood for us. Jonathan Copeland was unjustly targeted for his patriotism. Now, he needs our help to reclaim the life that was stolen from him.
