Jelly Roll Goes to Prison to Share ‘Words of Encouragement and Hope’

Published: November 13, 2024

Jelly Roll Goes to Prison to Share ‘Words of Encouragement and Hope’

By Movieguide® Contributor

Country star Jelly Roll is continuing to share his story of redemption to motivate inmates to make a change in their own lives.

He recently visited the Pendleton Correctional Facility and the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility in Indiana.

“He shared his powerful story of resilience, offering words of encouragement and hope,” the Indiana Department of Corrections wrote on their Facebook page. “His message continues to inspire, showing that no matter the past, the future is full of possibilities. A big thank you to Jelly Roll for taking the time to connect with our communities, and to the staff who made this visit possible.”

Jelly Roll made a similar trip in October to a detention center in Kentucky.

For the country star, these visits are personal — Jelly Roll has been candid about his past as a drug dealer who spent time in and out of prison and juvenile detention centers.

“I celebrated my 14th, 15th, and 16th birthdays there,” Jelly Roll said at a ceremony to break ground on Nashville’s new Youth Campus for Empowerment. “The only reason I wasn’t there at 17 was because I was charged as an adult.”

He even donated a recording studio to the center, telling PEOPLE, “It’s important, man. I think it’s important that we give back, especially [to] our kids…They were born into just whatever situation it was, and sometimes they can’t see past that situation or that neighborhood or that environment. I just hope to bring hope to that and kind of be a beacon and a light for those kids.”

Jelly Roll often speaks about the role faith played in his life and career, telling Fox News that he knew “God had a bigger purpose” for him.

“Faith was a lot of me believing it was going to work out for me,” he explained. “Could you imagine being a 37-year-old, unsuccessful musician when you told people that was your job? It wasn’t like something I did on the side. Like, it was my job. And I just always had faith that God had a bigger purpose for what I was trying to do.”