Four years ago, Audrey Barton landed a sociology internship with Louisiana Parole Project. She was 21 years old, a senior at LSU, and had never been exposed to the complexities of the prison system or anyone who had been incarcerated.
She loved every minute of it.
In February, she was hired as a staff social worker for Parole Project’s Reentry Health Initiative, where she works with individuals facing the challenges of reentry and recovery. She shared her full-circle journey as Parole Project’s newest employee from a small office in downtown Baton Rouge.
Dressed in a bright blue hoodie with the organization’s logo on the front corner, her legs tucked beneath her in an office chair, she took a moment to think about what she loves about this job.
“I get to see people for who they are and who they become after years in prison,” she said. “I love listening to their stories. Everyone is so different, but we are also really similar. I love that I get to provide a safe space for them.”
There’s a copy of Matthew McConaughey’s children’s book “Just Because,” on the corner of her desk. It’s a kids’ book she believes every adult needs, a story of contradictions that create the human experience and Audrey’s favorite line is: “Just because they can’t hear you, doesn’t mean you have no voice.”
It’s not surprising then that she is in a position to help the voiceless. She creates space for those who have felt unheard and unseen.
“When I was in the third grade, a teacher said I had an old soul,” she said, smiling. “I was always a quiet kid and a really good listener.”
While she has always been drawn to justice work for humans, she is also passionate about animals. She has worked at shelters, fostered nearly 40 dogs during COVID, and is the proud owner of Vinny, a rescue Lab-Pit Bull mix who occasionally visits her at the office.
Audrey is a Baton Rouge native and a St. Joseph’s Academy alumna. She also graduated from Louisiana State University in three years with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, which consists of minors in social work, sociology, and psychology.
When her internship ended with Parole Project in May 2021, she stayed on with the nonprofit, volunteering through September. After that she took a gap year between undergraduate and graduate studies, working as a mental health technician for a residential program that helps teenage girls struggling with mental health, substance abuse, and eating disorders.
When she started applying to graduate schools for her master’s degree in social work, Houston was the perfect fit and in 2024, she earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Houston. While in school, she completed a fellowship with Global Leaders in Behavioral Health Education, a training program for behavioral health service delivery with diverse populations.
She also interned in an inner-city middle school in Houston and as a case manager for a Houston sober high school. These experiences shaped her time in Houston, but Audrey maintained her connection to Parole Project through the years.
“I kept up with what they were doing through their website and social media,” she said, “and I remember checking the website and I saw that they already had a social worker, so I didn’t think there was a job opportunity.”
Audrey returned to Baton Rouge in the summer of 2024 after graduating from the University of Houston. By the end of the year, she had reached back out to see if there was a job opportunity — and there was! Audrey accepted the offer to join the team and started two months later.
Audrey works with Meagan Snedigar, Parole Project’s social work supervisor, who was thrilled to have someone to help handle the client reentry caseload. Since the nonprofit began in 2016, Parole Project has helped more than 600 formerly incarcerated men and women rebuild their lives.
“Being able to collaborate and have someone here to help elevate our services to our clients has been such a huge relief,” Meagan said.
Together, Audrey and Meagan begin working with clients while they are still incarcerated, traveling to prisons across south Louisiana to assess their needs and help develop a plan for reentry. Audrey also teaches substance abuse classes. She is thrilled to be back at the place she began as an intern four years ago and while the issues surrounding incarceration and parole are complex, she believes in second chances.
“I’ve been alive 25 years. Twenty-five years ago, I was zero,” she said, holding up her hand and closing four fingers around to touch her thumb. “Do you know how many times I have changed in my life? Our clients have served their time for the harm they caused, so my job is to help them become productive members of society. They are changing and trying to make their lives better.”
“I’m so happy to be here. This is the best place I’ve ever worked.”
