How One Violent Extremist Decided to Change Course/PBS NewsHour

Learn how one man is helping experts understand extremism with this video and educational resources from PBS NewsHour from August 29, 2016.

In 2012, American-born Jesse Morton was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for his role in running a pro-jihadist website that inspired a number of terrorist plots, according to the FBI. Now, just four years later, Morton is free and has been hired as a terrorism analyst at a George Washington University think tank. At around the time of his arrest and while he was in prison, Morton began to have serious doubts about the path of violent extremism he had taken. While he says it is not an excuse, Morton’s childhood was tumultuous and wrought with abuse, which caused Morton to reject American culture and search for a new identity. Morton became radicalized and converted to an extremist form of Islam. He became extremely political and lived a dual life while attending Columbia University’s prestigious School of International and Public Affairs. Morton’s decision to go undercover and assist in counterterrorism efforts while in prison changed his path profoundly. “If I am willing to sacrifice in the past so much to promote such a disgusting ideology, then I think that, if I’m sincere in my reform, I should be as equally dedicated and equally passionate about trying to repair some of the damage that I have done,” Morton said. Top counterterrorism analysts in Washington soon sought him out for advice on how to identify suspected terrorists.