My name is Jolei Parrott, and I am passionately advocating for justice and systemic reform at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) due to a personal tragedy. My mother, Dana Lynn Smith, died in custody at LCIW following persistent denials of necessary medical care. She was caught in a web of neglect; her pleas for help went unheard until it was too late. It is a heartache that fuels my commitment to prevent more families from enduring similar pain.

Currently, another vulnerable woman at LCIW needs urgent help. Ms. Carlene Fleming, incarcerated since the 1980s, has been fighting for her basic rights. Disabled, diabetic, and bound to a wheelchair for over 30 years, she is unable to push herself due to spinal injuries, yet the staff at LCIW deny her any form of assistance. Keeping her isolated, stuck in the back of assisted living. This cruel neglect has left her without food, insulin, or access to medical care, escalating her vulnerability. Astonishingly, these injustices have led to disciplinary actions against her, actions which jeopardize her potential parole.

LCIW has a documented history of medical neglect and abuse. Ms. Fleming’s story mirrors wider systemic issues that have persisted for years, where women suffer profoundly due to preventable and correctable failures within the institution. The callous disregard for their well-being suggests these women are serving death sentences, rather than the sentences handed down by our justice system.

We demand the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections and the ADA compliance officer to immediately review Carlene Fleming’s medical and disciplinary records. An independent investigation must be launched into ongoing disability discrimination and medical neglect at LCIW. We insist that proper mobility aids and medical support, including access to nutritious meals, critical insulin, and regular healthcare services, are consistently provided to Ms. Fleming as a right, not a privilege.

Furthermore, Ms. Fleming deserves a parole hearing that is free from any retaliatory reports resulting from her disabilities. We call for federal oversight to ensure the humane treatment of disabled and medically vulnerable women at LCIW.

Despite investing over $160 million in a new facility, the human rights abuses within continue unchecked. No woman should be left to plead for basic human necessities due to a disability.

We urgently call on Governor Jeff Landry, Secretary of Corrections Gary Westcott, the Louisiana Board of Pardons & Committee on Parole, Disability Rights Louisiana, the ACLU of Louisiana, and the Promise of Justice Initiative to act swiftly and decisively to protect Carlene Fleming's safety, rights, and to secure her release.

Please sign this petition to signal your support for justice and reform at LCIW. Every signature brings us closer to change and honors my mother Dana's memory by standing against systemic injustice.

Report these signatures to:

ParoleBoard@la.gov

constituentservices@ag.louisiana.gov

info@disabilityrightsla.org

john@paroleproject.org

doccommunications@la.gov

jlartey@themarshallproject.org

grussell@theadvocate.com

jadelson@theadvocate.com

agallo@theadvocate.com

admin@laaclu.org