The Committee on Parole denied parole June 9, 2025, for Travis West, DOC number 511795, who is serving an eight‑year sentence out of Webster Parish for second‑degree battery, attempted aggravated escape and battery of a police officer while in custody.

The decision matters because the board relied on the violent nature of the offenses, opposition from multiple law‑enforcement agencies and statements from a deputy who said West assaulted officers and threatened a civilian during the incident in custody. Danny Barra, chairman of the Committee on Parole, said the board considered those factors and denied West’s request.

West spoke during the hearing and acknowledged responsibility for the offenses. “I take full responsibility for my actions,” he told the panel, adding he had made “poor judgment” and would “stop and think” before acting in the future. Dorothy Wheeler, an education instructor at Morehouse Parish Detention Center, submitted a written recommendation praising West’s classroom work and concluding, “I wholeheartedly believe that this young man deserves a second chance.”

Brian Bass, a former Webster Parish deputy who testified by Zoom, described the booking‑area confrontation that led to West’s additional charges. “At one point in time, he hit me in the head with a phone,” Bass said, and later described West moving toward a female deputy with a taser: “If this taser would have went off, hitting her in the head, she'd have died.” The board noted written opposition from the district attorney’s office, the sheriff’s office, the chief of police and the attorney general.

Chairman Barra opened the vote by saying West had not “served enough time for the crimes” and cited the strong law‑enforcement opposition; Barra voted to deny. Other panel members also voted to deny, making the decision unanimous.

The board recorded West’s pro‑eligibility date as Sept. 11, 2025. The hearing record did not specify a precise good‑time or full‑term date. The board advised West of the decision and closed the hearing.

The Committee on Parole convened at Morehouse Detention Center for this case and concluded the session immediately after the vote.