Louisiana Committee on Parole issues mixed decisions Sept. 24; some paroles regranted, several revocations ordered

Cheryl Renoxo, chair of the Committee on Parole, convened the panel Sept. 24, 2024, at DOC headquarters in Baton Rouge with remote sites across multiple parishes. Over the course of the day the panel heard a series of revocation and parole-review cases and issued a mix of outcomes: several parole revocations, a small number of denials of early release, a conditional parole grant tied to treatment and curfew, and at least one decision to send a parolee to work release while an interstate-compact transfer is pursued.

The day’s docket included hearings involving parolees from Jefferson, DeSoto, Lafayette, St. Tammany, Bossier, Claiborne, Caldwell and Franklin parishes. The most immediate actions were formal votes by the three-member panel (Chair Cheryl Renoxo, Pete Freeman and Steve Prater, who joined remotely). The panel publicly read alleged violations, allowed statements from the parolees and their supporters, questioned the individuals, and then announced findings and votes.

Votes at a glance

- DeSoto Parish (Leo Horton): The panel found Horton guilty of multiple supervision violations (failure to submit monthly reports, missed counseling and unpaid fees) and voted to revoke parole. Chair Cheryl Renoxo stated the panel’s decision to revoke, and members Pete Freeman and Steve Prater concurred.

- Lafayette Parish (Robert Jamal Collins): After discussing an arrest in which Collins was Tasered and officers said a firearm was discovered during a search, the panel concluded Collins violated supervision (including fleeing and resisting), and the members voted to revoke his parole.

- St. Tammany Parish (Jason Migliore): Defense counsel Keith Couture asked the panel to treat Migliore’s reduced misdemeanor plea as a technical violation and urged reinstatement. The panel reviewed the record, including video and witness statements, and the majority voted to revoke Migliore’s parole.

- St. Tammany Parish (Ryan/Ron Leo Banks): Banks pleaded guilty with a statement to failing to report and absconding, and acknowledged arrears of $3,719. Supporters described homelessness and employment in Texas. The panel split: one member voted to revoke, but a majority voted not to revoke and instead imposed conditions: Banks must move to his mother’s residence, work with probation to seek an interstate-compact transfer to Texas, pay the cost of extradition within six months, and set a payment plan for supervision fees.

- St. Tammany Parish (Calvin Dwayne Belton): After reviewing evidence of a dating-partner battery and unpaid supervision fees, the panel found violations and voted to revoke parole.

- Bossier Parish (Armando Murray): Murray had previously been granted conditional parole but did not complete required programming within the nine-month administrative window; he later completed the long-term STEVE Boyle program. Support from the Louisiana Parole Project, family testimony and program documentation led the panel to regrant parole and accept the project’s transition plan with supervision conditions.

- Claiborne Parish (Jarrell Burns): The panel reviewed Burns’ registration obligations, a moderate Static-99 risk score cited by staff, and explicit opposition from the sentencing judge, district attorney and law enforcement. Members voted to deny parole.

- Caldwell Parish (Kevin Dwayne Marangay): After testimony about addiction history, program participation and strong local supports, the panel voted to grant parole conditionally, requiring long-term DOC substance-abuse treatment, attendance at support meetings and a nighttime curfew unless work requires otherwise.

- Franklin Parish (Michael S. Couch): Despite family support and program completion cited by his counsel, the panel noted substantial law-enforcement and victim opposition, an incident report from January 2022, and the reduced plea to multiple counts. The panel voted to deny early parole.

What the panel cited most often

Panel members repeatedly cited failure to report, missed counseling, absconding, and unpaid supervision fees as grounds for revocation. For several parolees the panel also pointed to new or previously adjudicated criminal conduct (for example, a court finding of battery) or facts that raised public-safety concerns (in one case, an allegation that a firearm was found where the parolee had hidden). In cases where the panel declined to revoke, members emphasized documented progress, lack of new criminal activity, and support plans that included housing and employment.

Representative quotes

- Chair Cheryl Renoxo, explaining an outcome to a parolee: "Today, your parole is gonna be revoked. Good luck to you, sir." (DeSoto decision on Leo Horton.)

- Defense counsel Keith Couture arguing for a technical finding in the Migliore case: "Therefore, we would ask that this committee either not revoke him, reinstate his parole, or find that it's a technical violation and give him credit for the time that he has already served." (counsel for Jason Migliore.)

- A supporter in the Jefferson Parish hearing about the parolee Jackie Benjamin: "I've seen a lot of change in Jackie. He's definitely getting out of trouble and doing the best that he can to work ... he's really stepped up since he's been out." (supporter Jessica Lee.)

What happens next

Most decisions carried specific supervisory or administrative instructions: several parolees who were not revoked were ordered to pursue interstate-compact transfers or to report to probation within a set timeframe; parolees whose parole was revoked were returned to custody under the committee’s order. Parolees granted parole were assigned conditions such as placement with a sponsor organization, mandatory treatment and curfews; those denied will remain in custody to serve the remainder of their terms unless future administrative relief is sought.

The panel’s roster, the Committee on Parole, and the specific conditions applied to each individual remain matters of record in the committee minutes. The committee adjourned in stages as remote sites signed off throughout the morning and early afternoon.