Country star Jelly Roll suprises Hennepin County Jail inmates with special visit
A group of inmates in the Twin Cities had a surprise visit from a country superstar Tuesday.
Jelly Roll made a stop at Hennepin County Jail ahead of his concert at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. There, he told inmates how he turned his life around after spending much of his youth behind bars.
He says he was first criminally charged at 13 years old and then spent the next 13 years in and out of prison. He later got his GED in jail.
Jelly Roll told the inmates he "didn't go home to become rich and famous" and "wanted to be the dad I didn't have," according to the jail's social media post.
Before he left, Sheriff Dawanna Witt gave Jelly Roll a commemorative key to the jail.
"Jail time shouldn't be wasted time. Jelly Roll is a great example of how jail programs can change lives," Witt said in a written statement.
The jail thanked Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall in Nashville, Tennessee, for "seeing Jelly Roll's potential."
In an interview with CBS News last month, Jelly Roll, whose birth name is Jason DeFord, discussed his mission to speak and perform at penitentiaries across the country, sharing his message of redemption. He has even testified on Capitol Hill to advocate for fentanyl victims and take accountability for his past.
"I was a part of the problem," he said during his testimony in 2024. "I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution."
He told CBS News that his criminal record is complicating his ability to travel internationally and perform. He's hoping the Tennessee governor will pardon him.
HCSO is still reeling from a surprise visit this afternoon at the Adult Detention Center. Ahead of his concert tonight,... Posted by Hennepin County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Cole Premo
Cole Premo is digital manager for CBS Minnesota. For more than a decade, he's been covering breaking news and weather, daily topics, stories from the Native community and more in Minnesota.
contributed to this report.
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