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Committee grants parole to Terry Vince with conditions, citing extensive rehabilitation
Summary
The Committee on Parole granted parole to Terry Bryce Vince after prison officials and reentry providers described decades of programming and low risk; vote included several conditions including participation in a reentry project and youth mentoring hours.
The Committee on Parole voted to grant parole to Terry Bryce Vince (DOC 394661) on March 12, 2025, following extensive testimony about his conduct in custody and the availability of community reentry supports.
Vince told the committee, “I’m here today because I committed a horrible crime,” and expressed remorse and a desire to give back after serving more than two decades in custody.
Why it matters: Vince’s case was notable for the committee’s emphasis on sustained rehabilitation while incarcerated, and for references to legal developments about juvenile sentencing that informed resentencing and the board’s review.
Support and evidence: Prison staff described Vince as a model inmate who completed numerous programs, served as a trustee, and regularly spoke to youth groups visiting the facility. Andrew Heinley of the reentry organization the Project (one of several nonprofit partners) told the board his group would provide transitional housing, job-skills training and ongoing supervision if Vince were released. Counsel for Vince summarized a resentencing in 2024 in St. Tammany Parish in which the judge found Vince had been rehabilitated.
Opposition and victim impact: Multiple family members of the victim spoke against release. Pat Baker, the victim’s mother, urged the board not to release Vince, recounting the lasting grief her family has experienced and saying the loss has not healed. District attorney representatives also opposed release, citing the violent nature of Vince’s offense.
Conditions and follow-up: The committee granted parole with conditions that include participation in the Project’s reentry program (an initial period of supervised programming — board members suggested six months to a year), and a requirement that Vince engage in mentoring or outreach to at-risk youth for two hours per month. The committee also indicated that Vince must complete any remaining specified programming and comply with standard parole supervision.
Decision: Several members voiced support for release after weighing the evidence of rehabilitation, while acknowledging the victims’ statements. The committee’s action allows staff and the reentry provider to finalize the transition plan and post-release supervision arrangements.
