Jelly Roll Visits Jail Ahead Of Minneapolis Concert, Speaks To Detainees

Jelly Roll has long been open about his history in and out of jail on drug charges before turning his life around and becoming a singer, and this week he spoke to detainees in Minnesota about his experience.

Jelly, 40, visited the Adult Detention Center at Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office ahead of his concert in Minneapolis on May 20, and the sheriff’s office said on social media it was “reeling” from the surprise appearance.

“When I was 13 years old I caught my first criminal charge…I would spend the next thirteen years in and out of the system,” the “Son of a Sinner” singer told the gathered detainees. During one of his stints in lockup, he earned his GED, and when he was later released, he had a new sense of purpose, but it wasn’t music.

“I didnt go home to become rich and famous…I just wanted to be the dad I didnt have,” he said.

“Jail time shouldnt be wasted time. Jelly Roll is a great example of how jail programs can change lives,” said Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt.

“Thank you to Sheriff Hall of Davidson County Sheriff’s Office for seeing Jelly Rolls potential and Sheriff Swanson from Genesee County Sheriff’s Office for ‘igniting’ and illuminating the importance of jail programs,” she said.

In a video shared by the sheriff’s office, Witt joked she would become Jelly Roll’s “new favorite sheriff.” She then presented him with an honorary Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Jail key.