§549. Notification of release or escape of inmate
A. At the earliest possible date, and in no event later than ten days before release,
except in the event of escape or emergency furloughs, the Department of Public Safety and
Corrections shall send written notice of parole, community placement, work release
placement, furlough, or escape, about a specific inmate convicted of a sex offense or a
criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, to all of the following:
(1) The chief of police of the municipality in which the inmate will reside or in
which placement will be made in a work release program.
(2) The sheriff of the parish in which the inmate will reside or in which placement
will be made in a work release program.
B. The same notice as required in Subsection A of this Section shall be sent to the
following if such notice has been requested in writing about a specific inmate convicted of
a sex offense or a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor:
(1) The victim of the crime for which the inmate was convicted.
(2) Any witnesses who testified against the inmate in any court proceedings
involving the offense.
(3) Any person specified in writing by the prosecuting district attorney.
C. Information regarding any victim, a relative of the victim, or witness requesting
the notice, information regarding any other person specified in writing by the prosecuting
district attorney to receive the notice, and the notice are confidential and shall not be
available to the inmate.
D. If an inmate convicted of a sex offense or a criminal offense against a victim who
is a minor escapes from a correctional facility, the Department of Public Safety and
Corrections shall immediately notify, by the most reasonable and expedient means available,
the chief of police of the municipality and the sheriff of the parish in which the inmate
resided immediately before the inmate's arrest and conviction. If previously requested, the
department shall also notify the witnesses and the victim of the crime for which the inmate
was convicted. If the inmate is recaptured, the department shall send notice to the persons
designated in this Subsection as soon as possible but in no event later than two working days
after the department learns of such recapture.
E. If the victim or any witness is under the age of sixteen, the notice required by this
Section shall be sent to the parents, tutor, or legal guardian of the child.
F. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall send the notices required
by this Chapter to the last address provided to the department by the requesting party. The
requesting party shall furnish the department with a current address.
G. Nothing in this Section shall impose any liability upon a chief of police of a
municipality or sheriff of a parish for failing to request in writing a notice as provided in this
Section.
H. The state shall make the electronic mail address or addresses and instant message
names or names collected for the sex offender registry available to any commercial or non-profit entity who makes a request and which promotes child safety, including any of the
following:
(1) Child safety organizations who attempt to deter the sexual exploitation of
children.
(2) Educational institutions.
(3) Interactive computer services.
I. No provider of interactive computer services shall be liable under this Chapter or
any other provision of law for any of the following:
(1) Identifying, removing, disabling, blocking or otherwise affecting a user on a good
faith belief that such user's electronic mail address, instant message name, username, or other
similar Internet identifier appeared in the National Sex Offender Registry or any analogous
state registry.
(2) For failing to identify, block or otherwise prevent a person from registering for
its service, or for failing to remove, disable or otherwise affect a registered user, whose
electronic mail address, instant message name or names, or other similar Internet identifier
appears in the National Sex Offender Registry or any analogous state registry.
J.(1) The supervisor, or the person acting on behalf of the supervisor who is
physically present at and in charge of the correctional facility at the time it is determined that
an inmate has been improperly released from that facility, shall immediately, or as soon as
practicable, notify or take necessary steps to ensure that notification of the improper release
is provided to all of the following:
(a) The appropriate law enforcement agency.
(b) The victim of the crime for which the inmate was imprisoned.
(c) The district attorney.
(d) Local media outlets within the parish, at the discretion of the supervisor or the
person acting on behalf of the supervisor.
(2) The provisions of this Subsection apply to the improper release of an inmate who
has been detained or incarcerated on the basis of an arrest or conviction for a crime of
violence as defined in R.S. 14:2(B) that is a felony.
(3) As used in this Subsection, the following terms have the following meanings:
(a) "Improper release" means the discharge of an inmate from a correctional facility
through circumstances that include but are not limited to administrative or clerical error or
mistake of staff.
(b) "Law enforcement agency" means the Department of Public Safety and
Corrections, office of public safety services and office of state police, and all police
departments in the parish.
(c) "Local media outlet" means a local news service, including but not limited to a
print, broadcast, or online platform.
(d) "Supervisor" means the warden, facility administrator, or designated official at
a correctional facility.
Acts 1992, No. 388, §1, eff. June 18, 1992; Acts 2007, No. 460, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2008;
Acts 2008, No. 672, §2; Acts 2026, No. 116, §1.