'Operation Love Wins' seeks to reunite Jan. 6 detainees with family members at D.C. jail

A Jan. 6 defendant launched "Operation Love Wins" to try and reunite fellow Jan. 6 prisoners in the D.C. jail with their family members, many of whom have not seen their loved ones in nearly two years. 

Starting last month, the D.C. Department of Corrections stopped requiring visitors and inmates to be vaccinated before allowing an in-person visit. Some Jan. 6 prisoners said they were excited by the news while other families were unable to afford a trip. In response, the organization The Real J6, which represents people incarcerated for the Jan. 6 riot, created the Love Wins campaign with the goal of funding trips for families to visit their loved ones in the D.C. jail.

"It’s been almost two years for most of us," said The Real J6 founder Shane Jenkins, who has been incarcerated in the D.C. jail since March. "We are asking [fellow] patriots to donate money, airline miles, hotel points, or other travel resources to aid us in this mission. Every penny of this will go to our cause."

About 25 J6 people are incarcerated in the DC jail, and the organization estimates that it will cost about $2,000 per family for one trip. The group said it plans on providing transportation, food and one or two days of housing to up to four people in a family.