Talk about an unlikely friendship.
Twenty-four years after being convicted of adult felony robbery charges, Jelly Roll is now partnering with the prosecutor who put him behind bars. One-time juvenile court prosecutor Jim Todd was in for quite the surprise when he received a call from the three-time Grammy award winner whom he sent to juvenile detention in 2002 after the 17-year-old Jason Deford was involved in an armed robbery.
DeFord robbed $350 in cash from a man’s and a woman’s house near the Nashville airport. Despite being unarmed himself, he still served one year in prison, followed by a long period of probation, with his life since then taking a complete 180-degree flip with a rise to stardom that has been an incredible story to watch, no matter your opinion on his music.
Last December, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pardoned the country music singer, but prior to his numerous lifestyle changes, Jelly Roll once considered his prosecutor, Todd, to be his “sworn enemy.” Imagine the shock to the judge when Roll told him over the phone for the first time in 2024 that he wanted to help him out in a grand way.
After repeatedly seeing the same heartbreaking stories of troubled teens from disadvantaged families walk through his courtroom, the Davidson County prosecutor decided to partner with two of his colleagues in 2021 to create Judge Dinkins Education Center. The vocational program was designed for at-risk juveniles to teach valuable trade skills, including construction.
Since its official 2023 launch, 19 teens have received their diplomas (most facing housing insecurity, mental health challenges, or criminal charges), yet the program had been financially unstable— that was until Jelly Roll’s management sent over a $100,000 check after their initial phone call. During his 2026 CRS Artist Humanitarian Award recipient speech, Jelly Roll admitted, “God has a sense of humor. I never thought I would give back with the same judge that charged me as an adult! And now I consider him a friend.”
The JDEC continues to grow with the help of an additional pledge of half a million dollars from Jelly Roll, which they hope will chip away at their goal to hire a new executive director, more teachers, implement a stable transportation system, and welcome more students into their doors. The education center is also continuously looking for more donations and helping hands, as well as the students’ handmade woodwork pieces available to purchase, with the money going directly back to the students.
Little A** Shed Tour Dates:
- May 28 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
- June 2 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
- June 7 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium*^
- June 8 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park
- June 10 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
- June 13 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
- June 18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Albany Med Health System at SPAC
- June 20 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
- June 21 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
- June 23 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
- July 22 – Walla Walla, WA – Wine Country Amphitheater