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Committee on Parole reinstates Terrebonne man’s parole with conditions after split vote
Summary
The Louisiana Committee on Parole voted 2-1 in March to reinstate the parole of Derrick Jones Sr. (DOC 429623) after hearing violations for failure to report and provide an address; the panel imposed reporting and repayment conditions, including payment of extradition costs.
The Committee on Parole reinstated the parole of Derrick Jones Sr., DOC 429623, by a 2-1 vote at a March hearing held at Department of Corrections headquarters in Baton Rouge. The panel found Jones guilty of multiple supervision violations but voted to return him to parole under conditions.
Panel members said the decision balanced Jones’s work history and family support against repeated failures to follow reporting and residence requirements. Chairman Steve Prater presided over the hearing.
Jones was accused of violating parole rules 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10 — including failing to submit required monthly reports, not providing a valid living address, and falling behind on supervision fee payments. Jones told the panel he had been working as an over-the-road truck driver and had been living in his truck because his family home’s roof was blown off by a storm. He said he maintained regular telephone contact with his parole officer but did not make all required in-person reports.
Jones told the panel he had leased an 18-wheeler to start a business and that the leasing company failed to provide enough freight, leaving him with inconsistent pay and difficulty covering truck and living expenses. He also said his grandmother had died at Christmas and he had been trying to avoid returning to circumstances that led to his earlier convictions.
Family members and supporters spoke on Jones’s behalf. A woman who identified herself as his sister said Jones “spends a lot of time with my family” and described him as a good father who keeps in contact with his children. Jones’s girlfriend, Sylvia, told the panel she would provide a home address in Carepro, Louisiana, and that Jones would live there if released.
After discussion, the committee voted to reinstate Jones’s parole with conditions: he must report within 48 hours of release to the Lafayette probation and parole office to be assigned to an officer in Carepro; he must pay the cost of extradition used to return him to Louisiana (stated at $4,782) on a monthly plan with his parole officer; and he must follow all other supervision conditions. The panel warned Jones that further violations would likely lead to revocation.
The committee recorded the outcome as a reinstatement rather than revocation; the panel emphasized that officers want parolees to succeed but must enforce reporting and residence rules.
Votes at a glance: reinstated (2 yes, 1 no).
