Sheriff Rocky Holcomb and the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office will host a one-of-a-kind event on Thursday, Aug. 15, in the Indoor Recreation Yard at the Virginia Beach Correctional Facility, an inmate choral performance called “The Sound of BDO (Beat da Odds)”. This music program promises to be filled with creativity and inspiration as three talented inmates take center stage to perform, including their original song, “Not Just a Number”. The event starts at 1 p.m. BDO partner, the legendary Brandon “Shaggy” Stokes, will host the program and later play it on his radio show, “Shaggy and Friends” on FM Z104.
“We are so excited to finally be able to debut this program, which has been in the works for several months,” said Holcomb. “In addition to providing an outlet for creative self-expression, I believe 'The Sound of BDO’ will boost inmates’ self-confidence, teach them new skills, give them a sense of accomplishment and allow them to have positive interactions with other inmates, VBSO staff and members of the community.”
“Offenders can pay their debt to society without losing their humanity, and we can balance being tough on crime with compassion,” added Holcomb. “Music brings people together, and I believe it can play a crucial role in offenders’ rehabilitation.”
BDO includes three inmates: Jonathan Jones, Zykiah Barnes and Marc Austin. Jones is serving time for a felony parole violation, Barnes for a felony parole violation and falsely purchasing a firearm, and Austin for a felony parole violation, possession and having a concealed weapon. Selected from more than 80 inmates who tried out for the program, the trio has been practicing since March, writing music, honing their vocal skills and working on their upcoming performance. They had to agree to comply with all institutional rules and uphold an exacting code of conduct while in the program.
The event will also feature singer/songwriter Kenyatta Emmanuel, an artist and activist who has shared his music from New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility to Carnegie Hall, offering a full live concert the same day of his release after serving 24½ years in prison. Emmanuel collaborated with other musicians inside and outside prison during his incarceration to impact the world through music. His initiatives included “Voices from Within” to address gun violence and serve the children of incarcerated parents. During “The Sound of BDO”, Emmanuel will share his story and perform two songs to unite the audience and prove that music can transcend transgressions to evoke emotion, stir souls and bridge gaps between individuals.
The program will also stream live on the VBSO Facebook page (@VBSheriffsOffice) and on VBTV, Virginia Beach Television, Cox channel 48/Verizon channel 45 at https://communications.virginiabeach.gov/about/vbtv .
To watch a video of Emmanuel leaving Sing Sing for the first time in over two decades and performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City on the same day visit https://youtu.be/NR-DQGbxZEs .
News media are invited to cover “The Sound of BDO” and should RSVP to VBSO Public Information Officer Toni Guagenti at tguagenti@vbso.net or 757-385-8446 .