Nashville Judge Who Once Prosecuted Jelly Roll Now Works With The Country Star To Give Back To At-Risk Youth

What a full circle story.

The rapper-turned-country-artist has been passionate about giving back to those that are less fortunate ever since he hit it big in the music industry. Why? Because he used to be in the shoes of the less fortunate, and he knows first hand how hard and troubling of times they can be.

And Jelly Roll loves to remind those people that it’s never too late to get back on the right path. That’s why the “I Am Not Okay” singer takes every opportunity he can to talk and visit with those that are incarcerated, and in this case, help support a non-profit that’s making a difference in the Nashville community.

Nashville Judge Jim Todd works as a special prosecutor for violent and gang-related juvenile offenders. Interestingly enough, he prosecuted Jelly Roll around the year 2000. At every level that he’s worked at professionally, he’s witnessed the pattern that young kids can fall into when they face challenging upbringings without a proper role model, as he explained to WSMV 4:

“It’s a viscous circle that I’ve seen all my life as a prosecutor, then defense attorney and now as a judge. I was prosecuting this kid named Andrew. I said, ‘Hey Andrew, what were you doing robbing this guy?’ He said, ‘Mr. Todd, I was robbing this guy to try and get money to get my brother and my mother out of the projects.’ That hit me square in the eyes.”

Judge Todd’s profession might have identified these kids as juvenile delinquents, but his heart knew that some of them just needed a second change, and a helpful push in the right direction. That’s why he started the Judge Dinkins Educational Center, which “believes in the potential of every person to transform themselves, their families, and their community.”

It helps students who may have struggled in early stages of their life learn a trade skill that better equips them to create a life and earn money for themselves. When Jelly Roll got wind that the judge who once prosecuted him had embarked on such a life-changing endeavor, the rapper-turned-country-artist who successfully managed to curb his criminal past wanted to help:

“What made me want to partner with (Judge Dinkins Educational Center) is that y’all understand that a lot of those kids don’t know it’s possible (to get their life on track).”

Judge Todd admitted that getting the non-profit off the ground was difficult, mainly because he was asking people to basically bankroll an idea. Jelly Roll immediately recognized Todd’s vision, and sought out to help the man that once slapped charges on him. Jim Todd couldn’t get over that:

“When (Jelly Roll) came back to me and said ‘I want to help,’ I about cried.”

Not only does Jelly Roll want to help with the non-profit, he wants to single-handedly keep it afloat, if that’s what it takes. As someone who once struggled with juvenile delinquency himself, the “Need A Favor” singer clearly sees how valuable an opportunity like the Judge Dinkins Educational Center can be, and he says he’ll do everything in his power to support the organization:

“I’m all in. We’ll do as many shows as we can to raise money and make it our cause.”

You can hear more about the organization – and the unlikely partnership between Judge Todd and Jelly Roll – that’s changing young lives in the Nashville area in the video below:

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