VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A new initiative at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center offers redemption in the form of music.
Sheriff Rocky Holcomb and Z104’s Shaggy announced Friday “The Sounds of beating da Odds” (BDO). This program will allow a select group of inmates to join a chorus of singers, and eventually musicians, who will perform this fall and during the holiday season.
Shaggy and Grammy-award winning producer Lex Luger said they were blown away by the amount of talent on display during the first round of auditions.
In addition to Shaggy and Luger, the initiative is supported by Audacy, owner of Z104 and other radio stations, iHeartRadio, the Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference with Rev. Gary McCollum as well as other community organizations.
According to a statement from the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office, “Music can transform people and their behavior. In a place like the jail, social interaction is often limited, transactional in some ways, but by opening an outlet for some of our inmates to participate in a chorus with outside experts, we hope to provide a path to rehabilitation and positive change. Places that participate in these type of music programs have reported fewer disciplinary issues and better relations with other incarcerated individuals and staff.”
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