QUICK FACTS BAR
State DOC: Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LADPSC)
Parole Board: Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole (LBPP)
Medicaid expansion: YES (full expansion - 2016, one of the later expansion states)
Voting rights: Restored after completing FULL sentence including parole and probation - no early restoration
SNAP drug felony ban: Full opt-out - no ban regardless of conviction
Expungement: Available - expanded in recent years; misdemeanors and some felonies eligible after waiting periods; Louisiana uses "expungement" as its term; one of the more improved Southern frameworks
Ban the box: Public employers (state government) - limited; no statewide private employer law; New Orleans has a local ordinance
INTRO
Louisiana earned its reputation as the incarceration capital of the world through decades of the harshest sentencing policies in the country. Starting in 2017, a bipartisan criminal justice reform package - Justice Reinvestment Initiative - meaningfully changed Louisiana's sentencing and reentry landscape. The reforms reduced sentences for many drug and non-violent offenses, created pathways for earlier parole eligibility, and increased investment in reentry services. Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016 - later than most expansion states but now providing healthcare access for most returning citizens. Expungement eligibility has been expanded in recent years, though it remains more limited than Northern states. Voting rights require completing all supervision, which in Louisiana - a state with some of the longest probation sentences in the country - can mean waiting many years after release from prison. Louisiana uses "parishes" rather than counties - all 64 parishes. The reentry service infrastructure is strongest in New Orleans (Orleans Parish), Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish), Shreveport (Caddo Parish), and Lafayette (Lafayette Parish). Rural and north Louisiana parishes are significantly underserved.
FIRST 30 DAYS CHECKLIST
Day 1-3:
Report to your Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole officer as directed. Louisiana's Division of Probation and Parole administers both parole and probation. Report on the scheduled date.
Day 1-7:
Obtain your Louisiana state ID or driver's license. Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles: expresslane.org. LADPSC provides a state ID to qualifying individuals at release. Bring: birth certificate or LADPSC ID, Social Security card, and proof of Louisiana residency.
Day 1-14:
Apply for Louisiana Medicaid (Healthy Louisiana). Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016. Most low-income adults qualify. Apply at medicaid.la.gov or call 1-888-342-6207.
Day 1-14:
Apply for SNAP (Louisiana Food Stamps). Louisiana has fully opted out of the federal drug felony ban - everyone meeting income and residency requirements qualifies. Apply at dcfs.louisiana.gov or your local DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) office.
Day 1-30:
Determine your parole or probation end date. Louisiana voting rights restore only after completing all supervision. In Louisiana, probation terms can be very long - confirm the full supervision end date from your release paperwork or from your parole/probation officer.
ID RESTORATION
Birth certificate:
Louisiana Department of Health Vital Records - ldh.la.gov/vital-records. Cost: $15 per copy. LADPSC assists with pre-release birth certificate requests - confirm with case manager.
Social Security card:
SSA.gov/ssnumber. Free. Locate nearest office at ssa.gov/locator.
State ID / Driver's License:
Louisiana OMV - expresslane.org. LADPSC provides state IDs at release for qualifying individuals. Bring proof of identity, Social Security number, and Louisiana residency. Cost: $20 for ID card.
Outstanding license issues: Louisiana suspends driver's licenses for unpaid fines, DWI convictions, and other reasons. Check your status at expresslane.org.
ID Assistance Programs:
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (slls.org) in New Orleans. Acadiana Legal Service Corporation (la-law.org) in Lafayette. Louisiana Civil Justice Center (lcjc.org) in New Orleans.
VOTING RIGHTS
Louisiana restores voting rights only after completing the full sentence including all parole and probation. Release from prison does not restore voting rights.
Louisiana uses "parishes" rather than counties - all 64 parishes. Voting is administered by the Louisiana Secretary of State and parish clerks of court.
Once fully discharged from all supervision: rights restore automatically - no application required. Register at geauxvote.com.
Louisiana does not have same-day registration - register at least 20 days before an election.
Note on probation length: Louisiana regularly imposes probation terms of 3, 5, and even 10 years for felony convictions. The full supervision period, not just the prison term, determines voting rights restoration.
BENEFITS ACCESS
HEALTHY LOUISIANA (MEDICAID):
Louisiana expanded Medicaid in July 2016. Most low-income adults at or below 138% of the federal poverty level qualify. Apply at medicaid.la.gov or call 1-888-342-6207. LADPSC has pre-release Medicaid enrollment efforts - confirm with case manager whether enrollment has been initiated.
SNAP (Louisiana Food Stamp Program):
Louisiana has fully opted out of the federal drug felony ban on SNAP. Everyone meeting income and Louisiana residency requirements qualifies. Apply at dcfs.louisiana.gov or your local DCFS office.
TANF (Louisiana Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program - FITAP):
Louisiana has fully opted out of the TANF drug felony ban. Eligible families are not excluded based on drug felony history.
Housing:
Louisiana does not have a single statewide transitional housing program. Federal RRCs serve federal inmates under BOP Residential Reentry Management New Orleans (covers LA, MS, AL, and portions of surrounding states). State-supervised reentry housing is through LADPSC-contracted facilities and nonprofit providers. New Orleans has the most developed reentry housing network. Baton Rouge and Shreveport have secondary networks. Rural Louisiana parishes are significantly underserved.
Louisiana geography note: Louisiana uses parishes, not counties - 64 parishes total. Parish-level social services are administered through district offices of DCFS and other state agencies.
EXPUNGEMENT AND RECORD RELIEF
Louisiana expungement has been expanded in recent years through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and subsequent legislation.
What is eligible (Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 971-995):
- Arrests without conviction (charges dismissed, nolle prossed, acquitted): eligible after 12 months from arrest date if no prosecution filed, or immediately after dismissal/acquittal
- First-offense felony convictions (non-violent, non-sex offense): eligible after 5 years from completion of sentence with no new convictions - this is an important category
- First-offense misdemeanor convictions: eligible after 5 years from completion of sentence in most cases
- Multiple offense expungement: Louisiana has some provisions for expunging multiple offenses in certain circumstances
- Misdemeanor marijuana convictions: Louisiana legalized medical marijuana and subsequent legislation provided additional expungement pathways for marijuana offenses
What CANNOT be expunged: Sex offenses, crimes of violence as defined by Louisiana law, crimes against minors, and most serious felony convictions. Louisiana's exclusion list for violent crimes is broad - many offenses classified as violent under Louisiana law are excluded from expungement.
Cost: Louisiana charges an expungement filing fee - currently $550 for most felony expungements and $200 for misdemeanors (verify current fees). Fee waivers are available for people meeting income criteria. These are among the higher expungement fees in the South.
Legal resources:
- Southeast Louisiana Legal Services: slls.org / (504) 529-1000 / New Orleans
- Acadiana Legal Service Corporation: la-law.org / (337) 237-4320 / Lafayette
- Louisiana Civil Justice Center: lcjc.org / (504) 596-2236 / New Orleans
- Louisiana Courts self-help: lasc.org/self_representation
EMPLOYMENT AND LICENSING
Ban the box:
Louisiana enacted ban-the-box for state government employment in 2016 - state agencies may not ask about criminal history on initial job applications. Private employers in Louisiana have no statewide restriction.
New Orleans enacted a local ban-the-box ordinance for private employers. Baton Rouge does not have a local ordinance.
Occupational licensing:
Louisiana enacted the Louisiana Occupational Licensing Reform Act (2021), requiring licensing boards to conduct individualized assessments rather than automatic denial based on criminal history. People can request a preliminary determination from licensing boards. This was a meaningful reform.
Employment assistance:
- Louisiana Workforce Commission Job Centers: laworks.net - statewide workforce development. Local Louisiana Job Connection centers provide employment services including reentry programs.
- LADPSC Employment Services: coordinated through LADPSC reentry unit
KEY LOUISIANA REENTRY ORGANIZATIONS
First 72+
first72plus.org / (504) 648-6445 / New Orleans
Peer-led reentry support, housing navigation, and advocacy for people in the first 72 hours after release. Founded by returning citizens. One of the most recognized reentry organizations in Louisiana.
Resurrection After Exoneration
r-a-e.org / (504) 208-7773 / New Orleans
Legal and reentry services for wrongfully convicted individuals. Also provides broader reentry navigation.
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS)
slls.org / (504) 529-1000 / New Orleans
Free civil legal services including expungement, housing, and reentry legal issues in southeastern Louisiana.
New Orleans Mission
neworleansmission.org / (504) 522-4482 / New Orleans
Transitional housing and reentry services in New Orleans.
Promise of Justice Initiative
promiseofjustice.org / (504) 529-5955 / New Orleans
Criminal justice reform advocacy and direct legal services including reentry support.
Louisiana Reentry Coalition
louisianareentrycoalition.org
Statewide network of reentry service providers. Directory of member organizations by region.
LADPSC Reentry Services
doc.louisiana.gov/reentry-services
Official LADPSC reentry coordination. Pre-release planning, parole transition, and community resource connections.
STATE DOC REENTRY PROGRAMS
LADPSC Reentry Unit:
LADPSC operates pre-release programming including vocational training, education, substance abuse treatment, and case management. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative (2017) increased investment in these programs.
Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI):
Louisiana's 2017 bipartisan reform package directed savings from reduced incarceration into reentry services, supervision tools, and behavioral health resources. JRI funding supports transitional housing, reentry employment programs, and supervision alternatives.
Vocational and Education Programs:
LADPSC provides vocational training (welding, culinary, construction, and others), GED preparation, and some college programming through partnerships with Louisiana community colleges.
HALFWAY HOUSES LINK BLOCK
Find halfway houses and reentry housing in Louisiana ->
inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/louisiana/
Louisiana has federal Residential Reentry Centers under BOP Residential Reentry Management New Orleans (covers LA, MS, AL, and portions of surrounding states). State-supervised transitional housing is through LADPSC-contracted facilities and nonprofit providers. New Orleans (Orleans Parish), Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish), and Shreveport (Caddo Parish) have the most options.
Louisiana geography: 64 parishes (not counties). Reentry resources are organized by parish rather than county.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When do my voting rights restore in Louisiana?
A: After completing your full sentence including all parole and probation. Release from prison alone does not restore voting rights. Louisiana probation terms can be very long - confirm your full supervision end date. Once fully discharged, register at geauxvote.com - at least 20 days before any election.
Q: Can my Louisiana felony conviction be expunged?
A: First-offense, non-violent, non-sex felony convictions are eligible for expungement after 5 years from completion of sentence with no new convictions. Misdemeanors are eligible after 5 years. Sex offenses and most violent crimes are excluded. Note: Louisiana's expungement filing fees are high ($550 for felonies) - fee waivers are available. Contact Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (slls.org) in New Orleans or Acadiana Legal Service (la-law.org) in Lafayette for a free evaluation.
Q: How do I apply for Healthy Louisiana (Medicaid) after prison?
A: Apply at medicaid.la.gov or call 1-888-342-6207. Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016 and most low-income returning citizens qualify. Ask your LADPSC case manager whether you have been pre-enrolled before release.
Q: What is First 72+ and how does it help?
A: First 72+ (first72plus.org) is a peer-led reentry organization in New Orleans focused on the critical first 72 hours after release. Founded by returning citizens, they provide housing navigation, food, ID assistance, and reentry support in the immediate days after release - the period when people are most at risk of recidivism. If you are releasing to New Orleans, contact them before or immediately upon release.
Q: Does Louisiana ban the box for private employers?
A: Not statewide. State agencies have ban-the-box. New Orleans has a local ordinance for private employers. Most of Louisiana has no restriction on when private employers can ask about criminal history. Louisiana Job Connection centers (laworks.net) can connect you with employers who hire people with records. TruthFinder WIDGET Search Louisiana inmate and arrest records INTERNAL LINKS - inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/louisiana/ - inmateaid.com/reentry/ - inmateaid.com/reentry/myths-and-facts/ EXTERNAL LINKS (new tab) - doc.louisiana.gov - medicaid.la.gov - geauxvote.com - expresslane.org - slls.org - laworks.net - findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov SCHEMA BreadcrumbList + FAQPage DATA SOURCES Voting rights: Louisiana Constitution Art. I Sec. 10; RS 18:102 / geauxvote.com; ccresourcecenter.org Medicaid: kff.org expansion tracker / Louisiana DHH (July 2016) SNAP: ccresourcecenter.org full opt-out confirmed Expungement: Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 971-995; JRI expungement expansions / slls.org Ban the box: Louisiana Executive Order 2016 (state agencies) / New Orleans local ordinance Licensing: Louisiana Occupational Licensing Reform Act (2021) Justice Reinvestment: Louisiana JRI (2017) / Pew Charitable Trusts documentation Organizations: verified from individual organization websites Geography: 64 parishes - not counties LADPSC programs: doc.louisiana.gov/reentry-services BOP RRM: RRM New Orleans covers LA, MS, AL and portions of surrounding states Expungement fees: verify current fees at lasc.org before publishing
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