The Committee on Parole in Baton Rouge recommended conditional parole for Jessica Gilley on Wednesday, June 4, contingent on completion of long-term substance-abuse treatment, prerelease training, and payment of court costs and fees.

The conditions matter because the board said the required programming affects when Gilley can be released — if the facility where she is located does not offer the mandated classes, she will be moved to a unit that does the programming and release will follow successful completion. Board members said completing the classes would likely coincide with accrued good-time credits and affect her release timing.

Gilley told the board she has been sober for more than two years and has taken online and work-release classes while incarcerated. She said deputy staff emailed certificates to the board and that she had paper copies available. At the hearing staff and board members reviewed records showing she had not completed the board-approved substance-abuse curriculum in the facility and noted outstanding court costs and monthly supervision fees.

Board members described two paths: deny parole now, or grant parole conditioned on completion of the substance-abuse and prerelease programs plus payment of fees. The board voted to grant parole conditioned on completion of the two classes; members also said that if the current facility lacks the programs she will be transferred so she can complete them. Members emphasized the practical trade-off that completing a long-term program could require giving up current employment and income, a factor Gilley raised when describing her work schedule.

The board’s action was a conditional recommendation; the parole will not be finalized until the required programming is completed and fees addressed.