NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Thursday, Governor Bill Lee announced he will be granting executive clemency to 33 individuals, including Jelly Roll.
Jelly Roll
"After thoroughly reviewing the merits of each case, I have decided to grant 33 individuals executive clemency,” said Gov. Lee. “Each individual case is unique and warranted consideration, and I thank the Board of Parole members for their thoughtful recommendations throughout this process.”
Jelly Roll was first incarcerated at 14 and spent much of the next decade moving in and out of juvenile and adult facilities, later saying he was arrested around 40 times for offenses including drug possession and dealing.
Jelly Roll was convicted of aggravated robbery at the age of 16, in which he was charged as an adult.
"I never want to overlook the fact that it was a heinous crime," he told Billboard back in 2023. "This is a grown man looking back at a 16-year-old kid that made the worst decision that he could have made in life and people could have got hurt and, by the grace of God, thankfully, nobody did."
He was sentenced to eight years in prison and seven years of probation. He served about a year behind bars before being released, later returning to custody in his early 20s on drug charges—an experience he has said became a turning point in his life.
The country star credits his hometown with shaping his transformation. "My daddy always told me, change starts in your heart, then in your household, then your neighborhood, then your city - and I'm working on my city the best I can. I love this city baby, I love Nashville man. It really made me who I am," DeFord said.
In April, the Tennessee Board of Parole recommended a pardon for Jelly Roll.
Shawn Baker
Another recipient is Shawn Baker, who launched the Freeman Recovery Center in Dickson County to help others struggling with addiction. Baker spent his formative years behind bars but found sobriety and has been helping others ever since.
"Listen, I've never been more excited. I don't know how to describe it. It was liberation, it was freedom," Baker said in an interview with NewsChannel 5 minutes after receiving the call about his pardon.
All 33 individuals have already served their prison time and have been out for at least five years. The pardons restore important rights, including firearm access and voting rights for many felons. "I get to feel like I can protect my family again," Baker said.
Beyond the practical benefits, Baker emphasized the psychological impact of removing the stigma associated with his past. "It just kind of sucks because it's always this dark cloud hanging over you and wherever you go, you know it's there," Baker said.
Baker says finally receiving this pardon will enable him to help even more people. "This is extra motivation for me. It's like hey I'm free, first time ever, extremely thankful for that and I'm, by God, committed to helping some other experience the same that deserve it," Baker said.
"For me, it's like the first time in my entire life that I've ever been free," Baker added.
Unlike some other states, Tennessee requires all individuals hoping to receive a pardon to be approved by the Tennessee Board of Parole before they can be considered by the Governor's office.
The complete list of pardon recipients includes:
- Janet Babb
- Shawn Baker
- Shawn Boss
- Thomas Braly
- Monty Burks
- Grant Burnside
- Jason DeFord
- Lanisha Edmond
- Andy Giron-Freay
- Melissa Halpin
- Edward Hayes
- Willie Horton
- Jeffrey Jackson
- Joshua Jarvis
- Nathan Jones
- Jeffrey Kimbel
- Jeffrey Kottler
- Kristy Locklear
- Robert McEwen
- Temeka Nixon
- William Reed
- Alan Roberts
- Hector Ruiz
- Angela Sellers
- Clark Shepherd
- Erika Smith
- Jessica Stanley
- Matthew Wade
- Anthony Walton
- Kennda Watkins
- Clay Watkins
- Steven Welch
- Tenisha Woods
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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