Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parole Decision topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Panel denies parole for Patrick Haney; members split on rehabilitation and violence history
Summary
A parole panel denied parole for Patrick Haney after split votes: two panel members recommended conditional parole tied to long-term substance-abuse programming, while one member voted to deny, citing a substantial violent history and prosecution comments.
The Committee on Parole at Raymond Laborde Correctional Facility denied parole for Patrick Haney after a rehearing in which the board split 2–1 on whether to grant parole with conditions.
Haney, a third-class offender in the record, told the panel he participated in the bank robbery for which he was sentenced and expressed remorse in a prepared statement. He described long-term substance addiction, completion of multiple educational programs and treatment classes while incarcerated, and said he had enrolled in further programming. His institutional record and program participation were summarized by staff and by Carrie Myers of the Louisiana Parole Project, who said the Parole Project accepted Haney and would provide mentoring, case management and substance-abuse evaluation if parole were granted.
Family members and project staff told the panel Haney has a support network in Zachary and potential employers and volunteer placements. His attorney, Micah Sloan of the Parole Project, urged the panel to consider Haney’s rehabilitation, formal education and sustained sobriety efforts.
Panel members discussed Haney’s extensive pre-incarceration violent history, including convictions and sentences in the mid-1990s and an aggravated record before the bank robbery. One panel member read comments from the district attorney’s office noting the underlying charges and recommending that Haney serve at least half his sentence before consideration for release.
Two panel members said they would grant parole conditioned on Haney’s completion of a long-term Department of Corrections substance-abuse program and participation in the Parole Project, with special conditions including aftercare recommendations and a community-service requirement to speak with at-risk youth. One panel member voted to deny parole, citing Haney’s violent prior convictions and the DA’s opposition. Because the board requires a unanimous vote to grant parole in this instance, the single dissent meant parole was denied.
The panel instructed staff to facilitate Haney's access to the recommended substance-abuse program so he can reapply after program completion.
