Jelly Roll breaks ground at Nashville's Youth Campus for Empowerment after celebrating his '14th, 15th, and 16th birthdays' incarcerated there Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By Cassie Carpenter For Dailymail.Com Published: 22:14, 12 August 2024 | Updated: 22:29, 12 August 2024 e-mail View comments Jelly Roll took time out of his busy touring schedule to help break ground at the future Youth Campus for Empowerment in Nashville, TN last Thursday after having been incarcerated at the former Davidson County Juvenile Justice Center for several years.
'I celebrated my 14th, 15th, and 16th birthdays there. The only reason I wasn't there at 17 was because I was charged as an adult,' the 39-year-old ex-con confessed during his speech - according to Fox 17 WZTV Nashville . 'They are focusing on rehabilitating kids instead of treating them like criminals and disciplining young men that just need love and connection and understanding.
I love their vision for the future. Get rid of stuff that makes you feel like a caged animal. Make these kids feel loved and give them a chance in life.
A lot of these kids are victims of their circumstances. This is a really great chance to change things.' Indeed, Jelly Roll (born Jason Bradley DeFord) has been jailed 40 times with the first at age 13 for marijuana possession and at 16 he was locked up for aggravated robbery followed by more offenses including violating probation, failing drug tests, and possessing crack with the intent to .