In recent years, the Louisiana Legislature has placed greater emphasis on tougher criminal penalties than initiatives to expand early release or reentry services. While the 2026 Regular Session did not represent a broad shift in direction, Parole Project worked with multiple partners to advance practical reforms that will strengthen reentry pathways and improve outcomes for people returning home.
Parole Project’s primary legislative priority was House Bill 168, authored by Representative Barbara Freiberg and signed into law as Act 290. The new law establishes a transitional reentry program for women, recognizing that women returning from incarceration often face different needs and barriers than men.
Eligible women who are within six months of their projected release date can be paroled to a residential reentry program in the community like the one operated by Parole Project. The legislation is intended to help women prepare for successful reintegration while receiving support, structure and accountability during a critical period in their transition home.
“Women returning home deserve a chance to reach their full potential,” said Andrew Hundley, executive director of Parole Project. “We are grateful to Representative Freiberg for working with us to create a responsible pathway that gives more women an opportunity to begin rebuilding their lives.”
Parole Project was also proud to work on House Bill 167, also authored by Representative Freiberg and signed into law as Act 785. The legislation requires the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to begin gathering the documents needed to provide eligible individuals with identification before their release. It also provides people leaving prison with applicable educational and vocational credentials, work records, birth certificates, and Social Security cards when obtainable.
Identification and personal records are basic necessities, but people have too often returned home without them. Without proper documentation, obtaining employment, securing housing, opening a bank account and accessing other essential services can be delayed. Act 785 provides a more reliable process for ensuring that people leave prison better prepared to take the first steps toward stability.
Parole Project also supported two additional measures that provide greater flexibility within Louisiana’s parole and medical release systems.
House Bill 394, authored by Representative Emily Chenevert and signed into law as Act 641, expands the period during which a person granted conditional parole may complete required rehabilitative programming before release. The law extends that window from nine months to 24 months. Parole Project believes this additional flexibility may allow the Committee on Parole to grant in more cases while still requiring individuals to complete programming intended to strengthen public safety and support their long-term success.
House Bill 399, authored by Representative Jerome “Zee” Zeringue and enacted as Act 945, expands the circumstances under which the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections may authorize temporary release for palliative or medical care. The law changes the eligibility window for people diagnosed with a terminal illness from 60 days to120 days, allowing more time for eligible individuals to receive end-of-life care outside a correctional facility.
“We know there is much more work ahead, and we do not view these measures as evidence of a broader change in direction,” Hundley said. “Still, these new laws demonstrate that practical, responsible reforms can move forward when lawmakers, advocates and directly impacted people work together on policies that strengthen public safety, expand reentry opportunities and support stronger communities.”
