Louisiana Committee on Parole issues mixed decisions: several revocations, denials and medical furlough grants

Baton Rouge — The Louisiana Committee on Parole on Aug. 13, 2025, heard multiple cases across several facilities and issued a mix of outcomes, including parole revocations, denials of regular parole, and grants of medical furloughs to nursing facilities.

The committee convened at DOC headquarters in Baton Rouge with Chair Cheryl Renacci presiding. Panel members heard revocation and parole-reconsideration cases (including revocation decisions for Kentrell Aloy and Taylor Ducree), a reconsideration that left parole intact with added conditions for Eric Smith, a parole grant to a parole-project residency for Derek Daigle, and several medical furlough reviews. The panel also considered multiple medical-furlough requests for inmates housed at Angola and other DOC units; some were granted contingent on placement, while others were denied following victim or district attorney opposition.

Why it matters: The Committee’s rulings directly affect whether people in DOC custody remain under supervision in the community, return to custody, or are transferred to outside medical facilities. Several decisions included added supervision conditions intended to limit contact with victims and to require mental-health or anger-management evaluations.

Key outcomes (Votes at a glance):

- Kentrell Aloy (DOC 629506): Revoked. Chair Cheryl Renacci cited arrest reports and a bill of information for resisting an officer; the panel voted to revoke parole. (Transcript evidence: initial hearing at 08:52; vote announced around 09:18.)

- Eric Smith (DOC 468213): Parole continued; not revoked. After reconsideration of an earlier rescinded decision, the panel voted to continue parole with added conditions including a 10 p.m.–5 a.m. curfew, stable housing requirement, no contact with the alleged victim (Miss Cyprian), and an anger-management evaluation. (Panel members Missus Ladue and Mr. Barra joined the chair in the vote.)

- Derek Daigle (DOC 451360): Parole granted to the Parole Project with supervision. The panel initially discussed a 3-month Parole Project placement; one panelist extended the recommended project period to six months. Final panel direction required that he not return to Calcasieu Parish and include mental-health evaluation and no contact with victims. (Panel votes in favor; conditions recorded on the record.)

- Chris Ricky Granado (DOC 729056): Regular parole denied. Panelists said he had not served enough time and had not completed required programming; the panel voted to deny release at this time.

- Taylor Ducree (DOC 614187): Revoked. Multiple positive drug screens, failure to follow a required inpatient treatment directive, absconding and failure to report resulted in the panel voting to revoke parole. The panel recommended additional treatment while incarcerated.

- Medical furloughs and medical parole reviews: - Ricky Portales (Angola): Medical treatment furlough GRANTED to Capital Oaks Nursing and Rehab in Baton Rouge based on medical staff recommendation of permanent, disabling stroke injuries and family support; panel votes in favor. Placement to be finalized with DOC medical staff and the receiving facility. - Kentrell Parker (Angola, quadriplegic): Medical treatment furlough GRANTED pending placement; panel cited need for 24-hour nursing care and no demonstrated public-safety risk. - Harold Jenkins (Saint Tammany case): MEDICAL PAROLE DENIED. Strong victim-family and local law-enforcement/D.A. opposition led the panel to deny a medical parole despite DOC medical staff noting significant decline and need for assistance with ADLs. - Leonard McGee (Angola, multiple serious convictions, bedridden): No unanimous vote to grant; because one panelist opposed the medical parole the request was not approved. - Derek Pickens (Rapides Parish case): Medical parole request DENIED (lack of unanimous approval; victim-family opposition was a factor).

What the panel said and required: Panelists frequently framed votes around three considerations: (1) DOC medical recommendations and whether the inmate’s condition is permanent and requires 24-hour care; (2) risk to public safety; and (3) victim or district attorney opposition. Where parole or furlough was granted for medical reasons, the committee required placement in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility and emphasized that furlough is revocable if conditions change. Where parole was continued (Eric Smith) the panel added specific special conditions (curfew, housing, no contact, anger‑management evaluation).

Details, clarifications and conditions noted on the record: - In Eric Smith’s case, counsel Alex Bello presented letters of support from the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and described job and housing prospects; the committee requested submission of the letter into the record and added the special conditions on the record. - Derek Daigle’s parole was tied to the Parole Project; panel directions included a minimum supervision period (panel discussion moved from 3 months to 6 months) and a prohibition on residing in Calcasieu Parish. - Medical furlough grants (Portales, Parker) were explicit that placement must be in an appropriate nursing or rehab facility; DOC staff said some potential facilities had declined due to required level of care and that placement was being finalized.

The meeting included multiple remote facility appearances (Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, Wharton/Allen Correctional Center, Angola and others). Several victims or victims’ family members appeared by phone or Zoom in opposition during medical‑furlough hearings; the committee recorded those statements and factored them into votes where unanimity was required.

Ending: The committee’s decisions on Aug. 13 reflected a mix of public‑safety and medical‑care considerations. Several people were returned to custody or had parole revoked for technical violations or arrest reports; others were approved for supervised reentry or medical placement under tight conditions. Further administrative steps (e.g., final placement of furlough recipients with a receiving facility) remain pending for the granted medical furloughs.