State Parole Board Recommends Pardon for Jelly Roll - Articles

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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Apr 25, 2025

The Tennessee Board of Parole on Tuesday recommended a pardon for country music star Jelly Roll, a Nashville native who has spoken openly about his criminal record. The board’s unanimous, nonbinding recommendation now leaves the final decision to Gov. Bill Lee. The rapper-turned-country singer is seeking a pardon so he can more easily travel internationally to perform and share his message of redemption, after spending time behind bars as a young person. The Associated Press reports that his most serious convictions include a robbery at age 17 and drug charges at 23. Due to his record, Jelly Roll told the board, it “takes a team of lawyers and a mountain of paperwork” to travel abroad. The board began reviewing his application in October 2024, marking at least five years since his sentence expired. Lee has issued more than 90 pardons since taking office in 2019, all of them since 2021.