The regular session hasn’t even started yet, and Sen. Butch Gautreaux has already abandoned legislation that would have made it easier for certain convicts to obtain parole. Due to a lack of support from top state officials and a less-than-supportive public reaction, Gautreaux, a Morgan City Democrat, says he plans to shelve his Senate Bill 62 when the regular session convenes next week.
Gautreaux says he doesn’t necessarily like the decision he has made, but he can read the political “tea leaves” before the first gavel even drops. “If I had the (Louisiana Department of Corrections) behind me, I’d still be moving forward,” Gautreaux says. “But since the secretary and everyone else are backing way, I won’t be doing anything with the bill.”
At the urging of Corrections Secretary James M. LeBlanc, Gautreaux says he filed legislation to change the number of votes needed on state parole boards to release most convicts. For example, while current law requires a unanimous vote from three-member parole boards, Gautreaux’s proposal would have required only two votes. For boards with more than three members, the legislation calls for only a majority vote.
While many in the criminal justice system see the benefits of a more lenient parole program, Gautreaux says many shy away from voicing support in public. For the full version of this story, click here.—Jeremy Alford
