Jelly Roll Invited Local Prison Inmates To Join Him On Stage During His Concert

Country singer Jelly Roll has once again proven just how pure and kind his soul is after bringing some special guests on stage during a recent concert. 

The 39-year-old has always been vocal about his support for incarcerated individuals, especially when it comes to the language and perception that we have about them. While playing a show in Charlottesville, Virginia, Jelly Roll proved that his commitment to inmates goes far beyond words — something we could all learn from.

Jelly Roll invited local prison inmates to join him on stage during his concert.

Hours before the country singer and rapper Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, was scheduled to perform at John Paul Jones Arena on Oct. 30, the Tennessee-based award-winning artist decided to visit the Chesterfield County Jail. It wasn’t the first time the award-winning artist had visited the jail outside of Richmond, either. 

Specifically, Jelly Roll visited the jail’s substance use recovery program, Helping Addicts Recover Progressively, and spent 90 minutes with men and women in the jail’s HARP pod, a dedicated section of the jail where recovery from substance abuse is the focus. Jelly Roll even performed for the inmates in attendance and listened to them perform for him, too.

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Jelly Roll got to listen to some of the talented inmates in the substance abuse recovery program perform.

According to WWBT, four inmates — Amin, Craig, Ejay, and Kevin, all in the HARP Program — sang, rapped, and played the guitar for their fellow inmates and Jelly Roll. 

“That was the highlight for me; I was playing for him here in the jail, going to Charlottesville, and being on stage. That was the icing on the cake,” Kevin Wheeler told the news outlet.

After hearing the inmates perform for him, Jelly Roll was so impressed that he decided to invite them to join him on stage for his show later that day. 

It was a meaningful experience for these men, who depended on music to get them through the hardships of their lives. The experience meant a lot to Jelly Roll as well, especially because he served time in his 20s for robbery and drug possession. He has been candid about his past, life as a recovering addict, and being arrested more than 40 times for varying drug charges related to his use of cocaine.

“I didn’t know whether to be excited, scared, nervous, honored. I just went with all four of them at the same time,” said Ejay Thomas. “I’m extremely grateful that I got a chance to face a fear and accomplish a goal… a lost goal. If anything, I’m more energized now; I went from writing probably once a week to… I’m writing every day now. It was a reboot for me.”

In a statement released by Chesterfield County, Jelly Roll shared that when he’s writing songs, he’s not necessarily thinking about inmates but rather the “broken people” in our society who are just trying to get better. “There are a lot of broken people in here trying to pick up the pieces.”

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Jelly Roll visited another group of incarcerated individuals during the same month.

Ahead of his Nov. 7 show at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Jelly Roll visited the Pendleton Correctional Facility and the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility. 

“He shared his powerful story of resilience, offering words of encouragement and hope,” the Indiana Department of Corrections wrote in a social media post about the visit. “His message continues to inspire, showing that no matter the past, the future is full of possibilities.”

Jelly Roll’s activism is admirable, especially considering societal stigmas about incarcerated people. They’re seen as lost causes, often judged for their circumstances without taking into consideration what may have happened in their lives to get them to that point in the first place. 

Jelly Roll’s advocacy gives the possibility of rehabilitation a voice and offers inmates trying to figure out how to start over an important gift — hope.

Jelly Roll has donated roughly $250,000 to programs aiding incarcerated and underserved youth in Nashville, too, and this kind of generosity is something we need to see more of, not just from regular people but from celebrities as well. They have the platforms and resources to stress the importance of prison rehabilitation, making sure that when inmates are released, they have the necessary tools to turn their lives around. 

As it stands, the statistics about incarcerated people returning to jail once they’re released are quite concerning.

The prison system needs an extensive overhaul, and celebrities like Jelly Roll are showing that these inmates are more than their past mistakes. They’re people deserving of support and they can still achieve their dreams, no matter what.

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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.