Parole granted to David Lightsey to Louisiana Parole Project with strict conditions

At the Louisiana State Penitentiary on Sept. 10, 2025, the Louisiana Committee on Parole voted to grant parole to David Lightsey, who was sentenced in November 1999 to life for a second-degree murder conviction and became parole-eligible in June 2023. The board granted release to supervision under the Louisiana Parole Project with several special conditions. Nut graf: The panel cited 27 years of incarceration, completion of intensive programming including the STAR substance-abuse program and victim-awareness coursework, sustained sobriety and a long-term reentry plan with the Louisiana Parole Project and a second‑chance employer as reasons to release Lightsey under strict supervision. During the hearing Lightsey described sustained sobriety and participation in the STAR program: “Drug addiction is I mean, I I've subdued that portion of my life. I came here faithless without any kind of direction. And God, I've taken to the faith community.” Parole Project representative Kerry Myers told the board the project had accepted Lightsey as a long‑term client and would provide housing, employment coordination and continuing treatment; Myers said, “Parole Project has accepted David as a client.” Attorney Adrienne Hutchinson urged the panel to view Lightsey’s transformation as the result of long-term programming and faith work and argued the board could impose conditions to manage risk. Conditions and warnings: The board conditioned parole on at least one year in the Parole Project, continued outpatient substance-abuse treatment, a minimum of one AA meeting per week and outpatient anger-management follow-up. Panelists also required monthly drug testing for the first year and warned that a single positive drug screen could prompt prompt revocation. One panelist said the decision would be a test to see whether Lightsey could sustain his sobriety outside the institution and emphasized immediate coordination of medical and treatment needs. Decision and next steps: The board’s votes to grant parole were recorded on the hearing record; the panel asked Parole Project staff to coordinate housing, employment and treatment and to report back as required by parole supervision protocols. Ending: Lightsey was granted parole to the Louisiana Parole Project with detailed conditions and continuing oversight; the board recorded strong monitoring and treatment requirements and cautioned that violations would lead to swift revocation.