She’s a former inmate. Now, she and Kix Brooks are helping inmates restart their lives

Editor’s Note: Below is another great article by Forrest Sanders of News Channel 5 WTVF. It’s seldom do you see journalist cover issues that are drastically changing and improving lives—especially in the prison system. America—no doubt has a mass incarceration crisis and you the taxpayers are paying for it. Our current system is total broken and financially unsustainable. The United States debt has now reached $37 Trillion and there’s no end in site. I would argue most don’t care. Our leaders get elected to congress with a net worth a few hundred thousand—only to leave after 15 to 30 years and there’re worth millions when they retire. Case in point, when Nancy Pelosi first entered politics in 1987, her net worth was reportedly $3.5 million. The estimates today is that she’s worth around $250 million. 

The United States maintains the world’s highest incarceration rate, with approximately 2 million people behind bars—roughly 25% of the global prison population despite having only 4% of the world’s population. This mass incarceration crisis stems from decades of tough-on-crime policies, mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and the war on drugs that disproportionately affected communities of color.

The system costs taxpayers over $80 billion annually while failing to effectively reduce recidivism rates. Experts argue that rehabilitation programs, drug treatment, and criminal justice reform could better address underlying causes of crime. Countries like Norway demonstrate that lower incarceration rates paired with rehabilitation-focused approaches achieve better outcomes for both public safety and individual reintegration into society. Non profits and state partners like Men of Valor are ding a great job in changing men’s lives. Many thanks to the Tennessee Department of Corrections Commissioner Frank Strada was in my office a few months ago and I brought up my music therapy legislation and I mentioned the power of music for healing and mental. To my surprise he said “Representative Sparks, we just had Kix Brooks and Jelly Roll visit the Lois M. DeBerry Center and Riverbend Prisons.”

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ARRINGTON, Tenn. (WTVF)—In the midst of CMA Fest, we have a very different country music story. It’s still about a big name in music, but it’s also about how a friendship is aiming to help others change their lives for the better.

Getting ready to speak at an event at Arrington Vineyards Thursday night felt great for singer/songwriter Briana Calhoun. Surreal? No, that’s not the right word for it.

“Six years ago, I was given a vision,” she said. “I was on a stage in front of a lot of people. I was holding a microphone. It was very clear. It was not a dream. This is not a surreal day to me. This is my purpose.”

Years ago, Briana said life was looking very dark. After possession charges she served a year and a half in a prison.

“I was a junkie before I got locked up,” she said. “If you’re sitting in a cell all alone, and you’re detoxing for three days with no one around who cares, you have to decide if you want to live or die. If you do not have self worth, you will not be able to make it in this society.”

After her release, Briana worked for a newspaper, got a masters in education, and was eventually able to teach in a Louisiana public high school.

Five years ago, she decided to share her story with someone who had a few mutual friends. That person is such a famous musician, she didn’t think he’d actually respond.

“He’s legend level!” Briana said.

Then, an email came back.

“Then I was like, ‘is this him? Is this Kix Brooks?'” Briana smiled.

Yes, it was owner of Arrington Vineyards and member of country duo Brooks & Dunn Kix Brooks.

“Most of those get lost in my email jungle, but I just kinda read the first parts of it,” Kix said.

Briana’s story spoke to Kix, and he ended up joining her for performances and motivational speaking appearances in prisons. Kix had an idea.

“I said, y’know, you could do a 501,” Kix said.

“It was him all the way,” Briana agreed.

“She really talks to these inmates,” Kix continued. “I can tell by the looks on their faces, she’s changing the way they look at things.”

“Just that human connection you have with them, it’s like going to church,” Briana added.

Today, Briana and Kix run Hope on the Inside. The non-profit does motivational speaking in prisons while also giving tools and advice on what to do when people get out.

“Thank you so much for your support, for your loyalty,” Briana told the crowd at Arrington Vineyards. Kix joined her on stage.

This was a fundraiser for the non-profit. It was a CMA Fest Charity event called Hope on the Vine. You’ll remember Briana had that vision of a crowd and a microphone. That Kix Brooks was there too just made the vision that much better.

“Briana’s changing lives, and I’m glad she lets me tag along,” Kix told the crowd.

“That’s not how it goes!” Briana laughed.

“Briana doesn’t talk down,” Kix continued. “She’s been there. A life can be changed. People get out of prison, and it helps us all if they find some skills to wind up in society doing good things.”

“I got on my knees this morning, and I thanked God,” Briana said. “At the same time, I have worked my tail off for it. As people, we need to feel we have a purpose and a plan in our lives. To say it’s surreal, I don’t think that’s the right word. It say it’s realized.”

The Thursday night event raised $70,000 for Hope On The Inside.

Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.