Committee on Parole denies Wanda Godfrey; board cites violent offense and revoked supervision history

The Committee on Parole denied parole May 21 for Wanda Lavonne Godfrey, DOC 629194, a second-felony offender convicted of aggravated second-degree battery on April 26, 2022, and sentenced to seven years with hard labor in Ouachita Parish.

Godfrey told the panel she was involved in a physical fight in which both she and the other person suffered cuts and that she "cannot take the law into my own hands." She said she has completed parenting and risk-management classes and has been in a work-release program for more than three years.

Correctional staff reported that Godfrey had a few minor incidents early in her current term but had maintained a clean record since 2022 and had worked as a trustee in the laundry warehouse before moving to work release. Sergeant Misty May of the work-release program "highly recommends her and thinks she's one of our better workers," the staff member told the panel.

Committee chairman Danny Barra and the panel noted, however, that multiple local law-enforcement authorities — including the district attorney, the Ouachita sheriff and the Ouachita chief of police — submitted opposition to parole. Barra also cited Godfrey's criminal-history summary showing "24 arrests for 31 offenses" and four prior supervision revocations. "I cannot grant parole today based on strong law enforcement opposition, the violent nature of this crime, and the prior criminal record with 4 periods of supervision that have been revoked," Barra said when casting his vote to deny.

Board members Prater and Stapleton concurred with the denial. The committee recorded no in-person supporters testifying at the hearing. The panel concluded the Ouachita hearing after the unanimous vote to deny parole; the record does not show any conditional direction to staff beyond the denial.

Godfrey was notified of the board's decision at the Ouachita Correctional Center hearing on May 21.