Victor Hill is known as the crime-fighting high sheriff of Clayton County, Georgia, a suburban community about 17 miles south of downtown Atlanta. Hill’s reputation has landed him on Twitter feeds across America, and his name has been mentioned by mainstream rap artists in their lyrics for years. But there’s a reality about this chief lawman and the structure of his paramilitary jail that many would be shocked to know. It changes lives.
According to a former Clayton County Jail inmate, Roderick Didone, Hill changed his life. Today, Didone is a leader in his community, a responsible father, and a noted motivational speaker.
Rolling out sat down with Didone to gain more insight into this modern-day success story and how a sheriff helped him heal and transform his life.
Explain what landed you in the Clayton County Jail?
It was a violation of probation for a minor offense, but it actually held a significant impact on my life compared to the many previous incarcerations I’ve experienced. And when I say many, I do mean many.
I had been on the run for almost two years. During the duration of those two years, my life had taken a big turn. I can say I lost myself. I had become homeless, addicted to drugs and destroyed relationships with my family. I really had taken a downward spiral. It’s like I had fallen into a black hole and seemed I couldn’t find my way out. On July 15, 2018, I woke up with a feeling over me, as if the Spirit had truly taken over my mind, and the first thing I remember saying to a friend was “I surrender.” I asked my friend to take me to Clayton County Jail so I could turn myself in. I didn’t want to run anymore. I didn’t want to run from the law. I didn’t want to run from myself. I didn’t want to keep running from God. So, I did what I was supposed to do. I surrendered.
Why do you give credit to Sheriff Victor Hill for your transformation and recovery?
While in Clayton County Jail, the Spirit continued to work within me in ways that words couldn’t explain. It was like an out-of-body experience, which I later had come to realize was God cleansing me. While having to face the consequences of my choices, I sat in jail and began to reflect upon those choices. I began to reflect on the man that I was, and that man wasn’t the man God destined me to be. Most importantly, in those thoughts were the thoughts of my children. My three boys.
Sitting in the jail where the core values of its establishment were discipline, structure and integrity, I began to take heed to what I felt was the message and lesson that God was trying to make me understand. God had guided me to a place where the Spirit had my full attention. I was completely away from drugs because Clayton County Jail is the only jail in Georgia where inmates cannot get drugs in. The Clayton County Jail truly removed me from my environment. This was the real beginning of my recovery.
For the first time, I was in the presence of morals and structure. These elements were conducive to the guidance of God’s will for my life. It’s like being accustomed to darkness for so long and then placed into the light to finally see your life has much value.
Clayton County Jail is said to be a paramilitary facility, and it’s just that. The structure, discipline, core values and many other attributes helped discipline me. I learned to be accountable and responsible. Sheriff Victor Hill’s jail emphasizes integrity and is one of many reasons I give him much credit for my transformation and recovery. Sheriff Hill believed in me when I didn’t seem to believe in myself. Since my days of incarceration, I’ve stayed in close contact with the sheriff, continuing to inform him of my accomplishments and showing him that I will be the man that I promised to be.
Continued on the next page.
