Committee on Parole revokes multiple paroles, orders DOC treatment for one after March hearings

Baton Rouge — The Committee on Parole held remote revocation hearings March 13–14 and voted to revoke parole for at least four people and to require Department of Corrections (DOC) substance-abuse treatment for another.

The committee, chaired by Cheryl Renacci, conducted hearings from DOC headquarters and at several correctional facilities by video. Panel members Steve Prater and Pete Freeman joined Renacci for each case. The decisions followed presentations of arrest and court records, victim or family statements and parole officers’ reports.

Votes at a glance

- Derek Broomfield: revocation (violations of parole conditions 3 and 4; panel vote to revoke unanimous). Evidence included a June 2024 arrest for domestic-abuse-related charges and a later simple-battery guilty plea; the panel also noted outstanding supervision fees of $1,323.

- Levar (Lebore) Miles: revocation (violation of condition 4; guilty plea to disturbing the peace by fistic encounter). Panel voted to revoke unanimously after the parolee and a witness gave conflicting accounts of the incident and police reports described scratches and minor bruising.

- Donny Glenn: not revoked; required to complete intensive DOC substance-abuse treatment. Chair Renacci proposed and the panel approved a plan that the parolee complete DOC’s inpatient intensive substance-abuse program and pursue an interstate compact to transfer supervision to Texas after program completion.

- Craig Anthony Thomas: revocation (violations of condition 4 and condition 10 relating to fees). Thomas had pled guilty to theft under $1,000 related to the sale of a vehicle and the panel found the theft and fee arrears sufficient to revoke parole.

- Donald Connolly: parole denied (panel cited failure to complete required sex-offender treatment, failure to register and strong opposition from the district attorney’s office and victim). The DA’s representative described the underlying offense and urged denial.

How the panel decided

For each case the committee read the alleged violations aloud, asked the parolee for a plea and then heard statements from witnesses or victims when present. Parolees were told in each case whether they were eligible for appointed counsel; the panel repeatedly noted that the signed parole questionnaire made most of the parolees ineligible for appointed counsel that morning.

Chair Cheryl Renacci summarized the panel’s view in the first decision, saying she had reviewed the record and heard from the parolee and a witness: "Based on the information that I have, it's obvious that there was some domestic abuse battery that occurred that day. My vote today ... is gonna to revoke your parole." That vote, and the subsequent concurrences by Prater and Freeman, revoked Derek Broomfield’s parole after the panel reviewed his June 18, 2024 arrest and October 10 guilty plea to simple battery; the committee also cited failure to keep in contact with a parole officer and outstanding supervision fees of $1,323.

In the hearing for Levar (transcribed as "Lebore") Miles, the panel noted court actions that amended an original charge to disturbing the peace by fistic encounter. Miles insisted the incident was a misunderstanding and that he had not struck his wife; a woman identifying herself as the person named in the report said she had torn pictures from the wall and denied that Miles had struck her. The panel concluded Miles had pled guilty to a criminal charge and voted to revoke.

Donny Glenn’s case produced a different outcome. Glenn admitted leaving his approved address and traveling to Texas without reporting to his parole officer because he feared relapse while living near people using drugs. Family and a girlfriend spoke on his behalf, saying he had obtained steady work in Texas and had maintained sobriety. Renacci said she was "concerned about a sobriety plan" but that Glenn showed commitment; she recommended, and the panel approved, that Glenn complete DOC’s intensive inpatient substance-abuse treatment and pursue an interstate compact so he could transfer supervision to Texas on completion.

Craig Thomas and Donald Connolly

Craig Anthony Thomas pleaded guilty in court to theft under $1,000 after selling a vehicle for scrap; the panel treated that conviction as criminal conduct in violation of parole condition 4 and also cited unpaid fees (condition 10). The panel voted to revoke.

At Rayburn Memorial Correctional Center the panel considered Donald Connolly, whose record showed an original charge that led to a conviction for indecent behavior with a juvenile and later failure-to-register offenses. The district attorney’s representative, Alexis Taylor, told the panel the office opposed early release given the nature of the underlying offense and Connolly’s failure to comply with registration and fee requirements. A victim who identified herself to the panel described long-term harm. The panel voted to deny parole and encouraged Connolly to complete required sex-offender treatment.

Why it matters

The decisions illustrate how the Committee on Parole balances public-safety concerns, victims’ accounts and compliance with supervision conditions. The panel revoked parole in several cases where the record showed new criminal convictions or where police reports described injuries; in another case the panel prioritized treatment and an interstate-compact pathway rather than immediate revocation.

What the panel recorded

Panel members read specific alleged violations and asked parolees about paperwork they had signed. The committee repeatedly distinguished between discussion, witness testimony and formal action; in each case the panel announced its vote on the record and, when applicable, specified supervision conditions or program requirements for possible future release.

Next steps and timing

Revoked parolees were informed they may reapply or otherwise pursue administrative remedies consistent with DOC rules; where the panel ordered treatment, staff said they would send paperwork and work to place the parolee into DOC’s intensive substance-abuse program. The panel adjourned after completing the scheduled hearings.