Tennessee parole board votes in favor of granting pardon to Jelly Roll for crimes he committed in youth
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Jelly Roll may soon be pardoned for crimes he committed in his younger days.
The Tennessee Board of Parole has voted in favor of the full pardon for the rapper, who has never shied away from speaking about his past criminal record. However, Governor Bill Lee holds the final say, the Associated Press reported.
“The reporting on Jelly Roll, that’s encouraging for his situation, but there are steps yet to happen in that case,” Lee stated.
Jelly Roll hopeful about his pardon
Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, April 22, “A year ago, I wrote @GovBillLee asking for a full Pardon for Jason ‘Jelly Roll’ Deford…..today the Board unanimously recommended his Pardon. It’s now in the hands of our Governor.”
A year ago, I wrote @GovBillLee asking for a full Pardon for Jason “Jelly Roll” Deford…..today the Board unanimously recommended his Pardon. It’s now in the hands of our Governor. pic.twitter.com/NACZOGW2y0
— Daron Hall (@DaronHall7) April 22, 2025
The board reportedly held a hearing with several witnesses for an hour and 45 minutes before reaching its decision.
The singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, shared, “This was incredible, I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless.”
Jelly Roll found time in jail as a ‘self-reflection moment’
The CMT Music Awards winner’s most serious crime was a robbery at age 17. He also faced drug charges at the age of 23.
It has been said that he spent most of the time between the ages of 14 and 25 in jail.
During a March episode of ‘SmartLens’, the ‘Son of a Sinner’ singer revealed, “I had the one pair of clothes that I was incarcerated in. I had zero money. In fact, I was in debt. It was the most honest accountability and self-reflection moment in my life,” as reported by NBC News.
Jelly Roll told the board members that songwriting, which he began while being behind bars, “started as a passion project that felt therapeutic and would end up changing my life in ways that I never dreamed imaginable and opened doors that I’ve never thought possible.”
Jelly Roll ‘wants to be an inspiration for people’
He also shared that he “want[s] to be an inspiration for people who are now where I used to be — to let them know that change is truly possible.”
The father-of-two claimed, “One of the reasons I’m asking for your recommendation for this pardon is because I’m looking to take my message of redemption through the power of music and faith through the rest of the world.
“I’ll still be using this same pardon, God willing, to go do missionary work in my 50s and 60s,” he added.
