An inspiration to inmates, country singer Jelly Roll performs at Oregon prison

SALEM, Oregon — Country singer Jelly Roll has been playing sold-out shows across the U.S. as part of his “Beautifully Broken” tour. But earlier this week, his venue wasn’t a massive arena: it was the Oregon State Penitentiary.

The award winning artist posted a video and photos of his visit to Salem Prison on Instagram, showing him singing a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and signing autographs for inmates at the prison.

According to Jelly Roll, it was the first time in 20 years that live music was heard in the prison yard.

“I am a huge believer that if we commit crimes we should serve our time and be held accountable for our actions, but I also believe that every human being deserves love no matter how bad the decision they made,” the 39-year-old wrote on Instagram.

Jelly Roll, who was incarcerated during his youth, said he wrote his first song while incarcerated.

“It never feels better than coming behind a wall and singing a song for you,” he told the crowd.

His lyrics often deal with his troubled past and addiction issues. In the video he made from prison, a man tells how Jelly Roll’s music changed his life.

“I heard ‘Save Me’ on the radio and that day I got clean,” the man said, referring to a song on Jelly Roll’s most recent album.

Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, began his music career as a rapper before becoming an acclaimed country artist. In 2023, he won the award for New Artist of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.

“I remember being in a dark place and no one ever helped us change the path of our lives,” he said. “It felt so good to bring a little light into such a dark place.”