Take a Closer Look at the Genesee County Jail’s Music Program With Jelly Roll + Sheriff Swanson

Finding a way to keep inmates from returning to jail is long-standing goal of Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. Swanson's IGNITE program works to educate inmates, helping them learn useful skill that can be put work once they are released from incarceration.

In the video below, former WNEM TV-5 anchor David Custer takes an in-depth look at Genesee County's music program - a recording studio built inside the jail which can be used by inmates to write a 'new track' for their lives once they are released.

SEE ALSO:

• Did Ya Hear the One About Jelly Roll Getting Free Food at a Michigan Burger King?
• Jelly Roll Stops the Show to Rescue Michigan Cancer Survivor at Midland Concert

Country music superstar Jelly Roll was on hand at the the Genesee County jail in July when the new music facility was unveiled.

Studio Inspired by Jelly Roll

Much like graduates of Swanson's IGNITE program, Jelly Roll earned his GED at the age of 23 while he was incarcerated. IGNITE as an acronym for 'Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education.' It's a project built from the ground up by Swanson to help inmates develop life skills and build better lives once they're released. The program has caught on and has been implemented at about 20 percent of jails throughout the US.

In a visit to the Genesee County Jail in December of 2023, Jelly Roll inspired Sheriff Swanson to build a music studio that could be used by inmates.

"You know what this place is missing?" Jelly Roll asked the sheriff as an IGNITE student prepared the singer for a haircut. "Music, baby. I'll invest in that."

That got the ball rolling, and with financial help from the United Auto Workers local region 1-D, Genesee County's 'Jailhouse Music Studio' was built. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the end of July.

An In-Depth Look

In the video below, Custer takes an in-depth look at how the county's new music facility came to be and the impact it's having on inmates who are using the studio in the hopes of building a better life.