What began as a therapeutic initiative to address the opioid crisis has grown into an internationally recognized recovery program known as HARP (Helping Addicts Recover Progressively) at the Chesterfield County Jail. On October 30, HARP’s journey took an extraordinary turn when singer-songwriter Jelly Roll, a vocal advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, visited with HARP participants and then surprised four of them with an invitation to perform with him at his Charlottesville concert that night.
Founded in 2016 by Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard, HARP was created out of frustration with the toll the opioid epidemic was taking on the community. He asked one critical question: How many people are we willing to lose before we do something? That day, HARP was born, and eight years later it continues to evolve.
In 2020, Sheriff Leonard partnered with mental health clinician Kerri Rhodes, whose personal loss of her son to an overdose motivated her to find new tools and resources for healing. “I tried traditional talk and cognitive/behavioral therapies, but nothing really worked in addressing the core issues that drive addiction,” said Rhodes. “It was only when I explored tapping and other somatic therapies that I started to process my own trauma in a meaningful and healing way. The trauma doesn’t go away, but we turn down the emotion attached to it.” Moved by HARP’s mission and the Sheriff, Rhodes volunteered at the jail and eventually joined the program full time, using innovative approaches like tapping, meditation, havening and polyvagal exercises. Rhodes and HARP participants share the tools they use to support their recovery on social media.
Jelly Roll, captivated by HARP’s Tapping Tuesdays and the music used therapeutically in the program, began following and interacting with them on TikTok. “He started commenting on our videos, and we began creating trauma tapping videos specifically for him,” Sheriff Leonard shared. The connection blossomed, leading to Jelly Roll’s first visit in 2023. During his October 2024 visit, he stayed for two hours – double the scheduled time – as the inmates performed an emotional “Jelly Roll concert” for the artist himself. “This was the first time Jelly Roll sat through a Jelly Roll concert,” joked Leonard.
On the way to his Charlottesville show that evening, Jelly Roll had an idea: he wanted some of the HARP inmates on stage with him. Sheriff Leonard quickly coordinated with UVA Police Chief Timothy Longo to make it happen. With just two hours to prepare, four inmates – each recovering from substance use – traveled to the concert, equipped with ankle monitors and HARP T-shirts. To ensure no taxpayer money was used for the event, Jelly Roll personally covered all costs, including the salaries of 10 sheriff’s employees, gas mileage, and other security detail expenses.
Arriving just before the concert, Jelly Roll personally welcomed the inmates, prayed with them, and reviewed the setlist. Before an audience of 17,000, he introduced them as HARP participants, and they took the stage to deliver a powerful performance. “They absolutely blew it out of the arena,” Leonard recalled. “The crowd, Jelly Roll’s team – everyone was moved by their resilience.”
John Jones, Executive Director of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association (VSA), commended Jelly Roll’s involvement and praised the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office for its commitment to supporting recovery and rehabilitation. “This remarkable moment showcases the shared commitment of Virginia’s sheriffs and celebrities like Jelly Roll to help those battling addiction find hope and healing,” said Jones. “The HARP program is a testament to the life-changing power of rehabilitation, and we are proud to see Sheriff Leonard’s work inspiring both inmates and the community alike.”
Katie Frazier, a Chesterfield resident who attended the concert with her friend and their two teenage sons, shared her emotional response to the evening’s performance. “We were in tears – redemption, recovery, and kindness go a long, long way. It was very special to see our teenagers applauding and cheering for men who could have been vilified and instead were given a chance to shine. It taught them (and us) a lot about respect, love, and opportunities to continue to improve your situation in life. It was one of the most impactful mama/human moments I have had in a long time. And his leadership and grace made that happen.”
After the performance, Jelly Roll and his opening acts celebrated with the HARP participants backstage, offering hugs and words of encouragement. “This guy doesn’t need to spend a minute in Chesterfield County, but he keeps showing up because he truly believes in what we’re doing,” Leonard said. “He has poured so much into our program, bringing new visibility to the hard work these men and women are doing every day.”
Kerri Rhodes reflected on the unique approach that has set HARP apart from other treatment and recovery programs. “I think something that sets HARP apart is how we address the core issues and trauma that drive substance use,” she explained. “You cannot talk or think your way out of trauma, but you can sing your way out, draw your way out, write your way out, tap your way out, haven your way out, breathe your way out, visualize your way out, or create your way out. Our current mental health model focuses heavily on the mind, but hardly engages the body in working through trauma. The body keeps the score, and finding safety within yourself is key to healing. Mental health is living in a flexible nervous system. It doesn’t mean life isn’t going to show up but our folks in HARP are going to have multiple tools to manage those feelings without numbing. We want our participants to leave with every tool we can give them to give them the best shot at recovery. Recovery is not abstinence; it is recovering the parts of you that you lost in survival and learning to live with and embrace the ‘UnPretty’ in life.”
HARP offers a holistic, comprehensive treatment program to address trauma, addiction, and personal growth, including sound healing, trauma-informed yoga, and support from Peer Recovery Specialists. “Recovery is about becoming your best self,” Rhodes added. “The Sheriff has built a team that embraces this philosophy, and it’s been incredible to watch lives change.”
With messages of support flooding in from across the country, the HARP program’s impact continues to grow. As Rhodes concluded, “Our motto is ‘One lost is one too many.’ We want to offer every person who walks through our doors the chance to recover their best selves, because they are worth it.”
Photos courtesy of Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard, Director of Behavioral and Mental Health Kerri Rhodes, and @officialjellyroll TikTok account.
