Advocacy and Representation

Our clients begin their reentry journey well before their release. Each Parole Project client is interviewed and vetted by our staff before they are accepted into our program. Some clients may reach out to us to apply, but many are identified by our staff as potential matches. Depending on their situation, some clients may require special assistance to prepare for their hearing prior to release.

Client Screenings

Parole Project staff regularly visit prisons or calls to interview potential clients seeking release. Each client is personally interviewed by a Parole Project staff member. Our staff assess and determine eligibility, need, and risk associated with each interviewee before they are accepted as a client.

If you know someone who may qualify for our program, please complete our Client Eligibility Form so they may be considered for our program.

Legal Assistance

Select clients are provided with pro bono legal representation for their hearings. Our legal staff diligently reviews all facts in their case, identifies relevant policies, and presents the client’s case for release.

We also partner with the Parole and Reentry Clinic at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center to provide law students with firsthand experience as they prepare parole hearing cases and provide representation to a handful of clients. Click here to learn more about the Parole and Reentry Clinic.

If you are a lawyer who is interested in providing pro bono representation for Parole Project clients, please contact us.

Hearing Representation

While not every client is eligible for full legal representation, a Parole Project representative participates in each potential client’s hearings. This representative outlines that individual’s reentry plan, addresses specific concerns with their release, and serves as an endorsement of that individual’s commitment to rebuilding their life. Parole Project’s presence is often a point of reassurance due to our program’s efficacy.

Clemency and Commutation Endorsements

Apart from parole, clemency and commutations are two common mechanisms for release from prison. Parole Project works with individuals and decision-makers to identify, advocate for, and endorse clients seeking clemency and commutation recommendations. Many of our clients have benefitted from these processes. Watch our 10-minute video, The Power of Commutations, to hear how they have received second chances thanks to executive discretion.

To learn more about these processes, click here.

Resentencing Efforts

Parole Project works with individuals and stakeholders to identify, advocate for, and endorse clients seeking release via resentencing. Many of these individuals were convicted in situations now deemed unconstitutional or excessive, such as non-unanimous jury decisions and life without parole sentences for juveniles. We work with district attorneys to reanalyze these cases and remedy damaging practices. Resentencing is an important aspect of criminal justice reform, particularly for those who were sentenced to life without parole as juveniles. It can also provide an opportunity for individuals to show that they have taken responsibility for their actions and have undergone significant personal growth and rehabilitation while in prison.