Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, More Appear On New Album To Benefit Criminal Justice Reform

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Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Steve Earle, The War and Treaty and more will appear on a new project, Better Than Jail, a benefit album to raise awareness and support for the urgent need to improve our criminal justice system.

Set for release on Oct. 4, the album also includes Lukas Nelson, Cedric Burnside, Hayes Carll and Allison Moorer, Bonnie Raitt, Margo Price, Old Crow Medicine Show, Raul Malo, Silverada and Taj Mahal performing covers of iconic prison songs, paying homage to a rich musical legacy while advocating for meaningful change.

The artists have lent their time, talent and platforms to shine a light on the need for comprehensive criminal justice reform through the iconic and storied songs. In addition to covers, Better Than Jail will also feature an original song, “Color of a Cloudy Day,” written and performed by Isbell and Shires. The track, originally written for the 2015 documentary film The Fear of 13, will be widely available for the first time with the release of Better Than Jail. A cover of The Crickets‘ 1960 track “I Fought the Law” by Earle, serves as the album’s lead single, and is available now.

Proceeds from the sale of Better Than Jail will help two organizations doing on-the-ground work to improve the criminal justice system: Equal Justice USA and Free Hearts. By supporting these organizations, Better Than Jail aims to invest in community-based services that decrease the use of jails and keep incarcerated individuals connected to their families. It also advocates for providing more meaningful reentry resources to help formerly incarcerated people find jobs and housing, reducing barriers to successful reintegration into society.

The album’s art was commissioned from Omari Booker, whose songbird emerging from guitar-string bars draws on his real-life experience of birds while in prison and evokes for him the hope and humanity that art and music provided during his time incarcerated.

“Musicians have been singing about the failures of our justice system long before the US exploded into the most incarcerated country in the world,” says Brian Hunt, Better Than Jail producer and President of Believe Entertainment Group. “These iconic artists breathe new life into storied songs, empowering the organizations who address this issue head on. We must do more to improve our criminal justice system, and this album harnesses the transformative power of music to rally the call.”

Lorie Hollabaugh
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