“This Is a Really Great Chance To Change Things” – Jelly Roll Helps Fund New Nashville Juvenile Justice Campus

Jelly Roll continues to give back.

The “Save Me” singer impacts his fans’ lives through his powerful lyrics and his actions within the community. Last year, during Christmas, Jelly Roll hosted the largest toy drive in Tennessee. He constantly visits prisons, talking to incarcerated men and inspiring them to change their stories, and now he is backing the opening of a new facility.

On August 8th, Jelly Roll spoke at the groundbreaking for Nashville’s new Youth Campus for Empowerment. Given Jelly was incarcerated numerous times as a youth, he is now passionate about helping those in a troubled spot today and has donated funds to make this campus come to life.

“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 14-acre campus will include facilities for families needing immediate help, a 24-hour center for youths in crisis, courtrooms, and meeting spaces. Jelly Roll spoke during the groundbreaking about how monumental this site will be and how it provides a much better facility with resources for these youth to change the trajectory of their lives.

“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.”

He jokes about how nothing has changed about the current facility since he was there, which is funny but also sad, given that it was thirty years ago. Construction on the new campus is set to be done in 2027.

In 2022, Jelly Roll spoke with PEOPLE Magzine about his time in the correctional system and a defining moment in a facility.

“I was in and out of there for about three, three and a half years. I spent a lot of time there and eventually got charged as an adult for a crime I committed as a juvenile. And I just realized that was the most impactful thing that ever happened in my life, and the darkest moments of my life still were being that 15-year-old scared kid spending Thanksgiving away from his family.”

Because of that moment when he was 15, Jelly Roll dedicated his life to helping those in need. He preaches a lot about the dark times he was in and how he was able to turn his life around and make something of himself that he is really proud of. He does more than preach, though. He spends his free time and resources making a difference in communities.

“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.”

This is why Jelly Roll is a man of the people – he’s a stand-up guy.

While you’re here, you might as well fire up his latest single, “Liar.”