We, the undersigned, respectfully call on Chief Seth Smith and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections to reinstate the visitation rights of Gigi, co-host of Love Within Walls: A Prison Wife Podcast.

WHAT HAPPENED:

On May 19, 2026, Gigi received a letter from Louisiana State Penitentiary informing her that she had been removed from her partner’s visitation list — indefinitely — including all special visits and special functions.

The reason given: she conducted a podcast interview on March 29, 2026 without prior approval from the DOC Communications Director.

WHY THIS IS UNJUST:

• No prior notice. The Louisiana DPS&C updated its media inquiry policy on the exact same day as the interview. Gigi could not have known approval was required — because the policy was being announced as the calls were happening.

• Gigi is a personal visitor, not media. Love Within Walls is a community podcast created to support and amplify the voices of incarcerated individuals and their families — not a commercial news organization. Gigi’s relationship with her partner is personal and longstanding.

• The punishment is disproportionate. Indefinite removal of all visitation rights — with no warning, no lesser sanction considered, and no path to reinstatement — is an extreme consequence for an unintentional procedural oversight.

• Visitation matters. Research consistently shows that maintaining personal connections is critical to the mental health and rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals. Severing those connections indefinitely causes real, lasting harm.

Our podcast Love Within Walls exists because of stories exactly like this one. We are a community of partners, families, and advocates who understand firsthand what it means to have connection taken away. We are asking for fairness, proportionality, and due process.

We ask that Gigi’s visitation rights be fully reinstated immediately.

Directed to:
Chief Seth Smith, Chief of Operations
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections