Parole board grants medical parole to two elderly inmates with nursing-home placements pending Social Security documentation

The Committee on Parole voted April 15 to grant medical parole to two men serving long sentences after staff medical summaries and family testimony described severe, chronic impairments.

The board’s decisions affect Odell Davis and Jeffrey Neil, both age 67 in the record, who have histories of stroke and progressive debility that leave them largely dependent on nursing care. Parole staff said Capital Oaks Nursing Home in Baton Rouge has agreed to accept both men pending receipt of their Social Security cards; staff had applied for the documents and were awaiting copies.

Nurse practitioner Jeremy Dito summarized the clinical picture for Odell Davis: "He's been bed bound, requiring around-the-clock care, with pressure ulcers and limited ability to transfer from bed to wheelchair," Dito said. Staff reported Davis has been housed intermittently on the nursing unit since 2023 and requires a high level of nursing support. The board recorded a unanimous vote to grant medical parole and recommended placement at Capital Oaks once the facility receives required identity documentation.

Family members and clergy spoke in support of Jeffrey Neil’s release. Fred Veil, who said he visits Neil in Angola, described him as ministering to other inmates and urged the board to allow family care. Curtis Banks, who identified himself as a cousin and minister, and Marvis Neil, Jeffrey’s brother, also spoke in support. Dito summarized Neil’s condition after an April 2025 catastrophic stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side with residual aphasia and dependence for all activities of daily living. "He probably has reached his maximum physical gain and is going to require total care for the rest of his life," Dito said.

Board members flagged a policy point on medical parole: if a grantee’s health improves to where ambulation is restored, the department policy recorded in the transcript allows return to custody. The board recorded unanimous votes to grant medical parole for both men, with the recorded stipulation that acceptance by the nursing facility and completion of necessary documentation be secured before discharge.

The transcript shows staff will complete placement paperwork and coordinate submission of Social Security documentation to the nursing facility. The board did not set release dates in the public transcript; those procedural steps and the date of discharge depend on administrative processing and facility intake.