Parole denied for Candace Lawler, panel cites habitual-offender history and drug-dealing charges

The Committee on Parole denied parole for Candace Lawler (DOC 711483) at a hearing May 20, 2025, in Baton Rouge.

Lawler, a fourth-felony offender sentenced Sept. 7, 2022, in St. Tammany Parish to concurrent terms including 12 years of hard labor, asked the panel for release. Panel chairman Danny Barra and commissioners heard Lawler say, "I was selling drugs. I'm using drugs." Her parole eligibility date was listed as April 5, 2025.

The panel’s decision turned on several factors the members cited during deliberations. Commissioner Stapleton explained she would not grant parole, saying Lawler had served three of the 12 years, was a habitual offender and faced opposition from law enforcement. Stapleton said the nature of the drugs and the selling behavior made release inappropriate at this time. Commissioner Prater concurred and likewise recommended additional programming, including victim-awareness classes; his vote, combined with Stapleton’s, produced a majority denial.

Officials at the Louisiana Transition Center told the panel Lawler had no major rule infractions in custody but had not completed recommended classes. Family members who spoke in support — including Beverly Lawler, Lawler’s mother, and two siblings — described a support network and said Lawler was willing to enter rehab. The hearing record also notes formal opposition from the district attorney’s office, the sheriff’s office and the attorney general’s office.

Although one commissioner said he would have favored conditional release tied to in‑custody substance‑abuse treatment and six months of electronic monitoring, the panel recorded two votes to deny, and the chair announced the parole request was denied. The chair told Lawler she should enroll in classes while incarcerated so future hearings could consider completed programming.

No formal changes to sentence length or good-time calculations were announced at the hearing; Lawler’s "good time" date was recorded as not applicable because of habitual‑offender status.

Transcript excerpts show the board followed the standard parole procedure: staff verification of sentencing and eligibility information, witness statements by family, responses from facility staff, and a closed executive session before the vote. The panel concluded its business for Lawler and moved on to the next case.