Jelly Roll Sworn In As Deputy Sheriff
Now that's second chances.
Jelly Roll (Credit: Ashley Osborn)
Jelly Roll (real name Jason DeFord) has been a symbol of what happens when you give someone a second chance for years, and now, he has the opportunity to make a difference beyond music.
On Saturday (27 July), Jelly Roll was sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff while visiting the Genesee County Jail in Flint, Michigan. Initially appearing for a ribbon-cutting ceremony as the institution opened a new on-site music facility, the Need A Favor singer ended up receiving a surprise.
In footage filmed by Detroit radio station WYCD, Jelly Roll’s friend, Sheriff Christopher Swanson, took to the podium and said:
“It is my honour to extend a Deputy Status, and he’s going to be sworn in today as a Deputy Sheriff for the county of Genesee, right here, in Flint, Michigan, with his own badge.”
Preparing the room to honour Jelly Roll, Swanson added, “Ladies and gentlemen, get your cameras ready! Jason, will you stand right here and raise your right hand?”
Jelly Roll raised his hand and was officially sworn in as Deputy Sheriff of Genesee County. He was then handed a badge – a real one – for his duties.
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Swanson said after Jelly Roll accepted the badge, “This is your badge, this is the real deal, you walk into any facility now, you can tell them you’re a deputy sheriff for Genesee County!”
At the end of the proceedings, Swanson, clearly a clever fan of Jelly Roll’s music, concluded: “Now, that’s second chances.”
You can watch the video below.
Jelly Roll becoming a Deputy Sheriff might allow the police force to approach crimes committed by troubled young people with some empathy and maybe offer a second chance, something the singer is experiencing right now.
In his teenage years, Jelly Roll was arrested on numerous occasions on charges including possession of marijuana and attempted robbery.
When not cranking out hits or being crowned Deputy Sheriff, Jelly Roll has hired felons to work in his Rolling With Jelly food truck.
As he mentioned in an interview last year, he and business partner Jerry Gift Jr. “only hire second-chance guys”.
He explained: “Every other place in the world is like, 'If you got a felony, you can't work here.' We're only hiring felons. They run the food truck, and it comes out on tour with us some nights.”
In other Jelly Roll news, the singer recently collaborated with mgk on the song Lonely Road, which interpolates the John Denver classic Take Me Home, Country Roads.
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