Louisiana
Louisiana’s most notorious prison hosts daddy-daughter dance
Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, in partnership with God Behind Bars, hosted a father-daughter dance on Saturday.
God Behind Bars is an organization that partners with churches and ministries nationwide to help meet the needs of incarcerated individuals and their families. The organization said the first annual Daddy Daughter Dance inside the Angola facility reunited fathers who had not seen their daughters in years.
“When I turned around and saw my baby in that dress and she busted out crying…I sobbed, man, and I ain’t no crier. We slow-danced and she was crying again. I said, ‘Baby, why you crying?’ and she said, ‘Dad, I finally get a chance to dance with you for the first time.’” I told my brothers, ‘Look, brother…this’ll make you want to do right. If you ain’t doing right, bro, you got to do right,’” Leslie, an incarcerated father, said in a statement sent to Newsweek.
Why It Matters
God Behind Bars said the dance gave incarcerated fathers the opportunity to reconnect with their daughters.
“Children with incarcerated parents are among the most vulnerable in America. Events like this matter deeply. Research shows that fatherless daughters face higher risks of low self-esteem, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and incarceration,” God Behind Bars said.
Louisiana State Penitentiary Assistant Warden Anne-Marie Easely said in a statement sent to Newsweek, “It is so important for fathers to be involved in their daughters’ lives no matter where they are in order to break the cycle of incarceration, instill self-confidence and so many other things that fatherless daughters are more susceptible to.”
What To Know
A total of 37 daughters, from ages 5 to 20, and 29 fathers attended the dance. Professional makeup artist Jessica Haynes and others helped the daughters get ready for the event. Volunteers painted the daughters’ nails and touched up their hair.
The fathers were fitted in custom tuxedos donated by Amor Suits months before the event.
The prison’s Seminary Lecture Room transformed into a dance venue with decor and floral arrangements. Families shared a Thanksgiving meal together.
The fathers also prepared a choreographed dance for their daughters.
Each daughter received a gift bag with hair and beauty products donated by T3 Micro and a bible donated by Hosanna Revival.
What People Are Saying
Kevin, an incarcerated father, in a statement sent to Newsweek: “We’re supposed to be the worst of the worst and the hardest of the hardest…and we walk around like that sometimes. Seeing all of us together with our kids, the loves of our lives, with no masks…that was cool.”
Jake Bodine, founder of God Behind Bars, in a statement sent to Newsweek: “It’s hard to put into words what took place at the first ever Daddy Daughter Dance inside Angola prison. I watched a group of men stand with pride and dignity, shedding every label the world had ever put on them. For one night they were not inmates. They were Dad. And the empty places in every heart were filled with joy, laughter, and a love only God can author.”
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NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Louisiana State Police issued a Silver Alert Friday for a 76-year-old New Orleans man who has been missing since Wednesday.
Elbert Welch was last seen in the 1700 block of Holiday Drive on May 6 at approximately 11 a.m. State police received the request to issue a Silver Alert at approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday on behalf of the New Orleans Police Department.
Welch is a white male with brown eyes and black and gray hair. He is 5′10″ and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a khaki shirt, black pants and a blue baseball cap.
Family reports that Welch has a medical condition that may impair his judgment.
Welch is believed to be walking on foot in an unknown direction.
Anyone with information regarding Welch’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the New Orleans Police Department, 4th District, at (504) 821-2222 or dial 911. All questions should be directed to the New Orleans Police Department.
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Watch UL Diamond sports HCs talk wins and losses vs Troy, Coastal Carolina
Hear from UL softball and baseball HCs, Matt Deggs and Alyson Habetz following SBC play where Cajuns softball swept Coastal Carolina and baseball loss 2-1 to Troy.
Pressure is back on for Louisiana baseball, especially on the weekend in Sun Belt Conference play.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (30-19, 12-12) dropped their final midweek game of the season, losing 9-6 to the University of New Orleans in extra innings. Now, the Cajuns are back on the road for SBC play, needing every win they can get to better their chances of snagging a regional spot. They travel to Appalachian State for what will likely be a chilly three-game series against the Mountaineers.
Seventh-year head coach Matt Deggs will go with junior Cody Brasch to start Game 1, a spot the right-hander is becoming accustomed to. Saturday’s are for Andrew Herrmann, the most reliable of the Cajuns’ arms through the year. App State will start junior righty Nick DiRito on Friday, followed by junior righty Gage Peterson and junior lefty Tanner Nolan to close out the series.
Here’s how to watch Ragin’ Cajuns baseball in its SBC series vs App State (28-18, 15-9), including time, TV schedule, live score and streaming information.
Watch Louisiana baseball vs App State on ESPN+
Louisiana baseball vs App State live score
What channel is Louisiana baseball vs App State on?
TV: None
Livestream: ESPN+
Radio: Varsity Network, 96.5 FM
Louisiana vs. App State will be available live on ESPN+ streaming service for the teams’ ninth SBC series of the 2026 college baseball season. Matt Present will provide commentary from Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
What time does Louisiana baseball play App State today?
- 5 p.m. Friday, May 8
- 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9
- 12 p.m. Sunday, May 10
The Louisiana vs. App State series starts at 5 p.m. Friday at Beaver Field in Boone, N.C., followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Cajuns will close out the series at noon on Sunday.
Louisiana baseball vs App State weather update
Friday’s matchup will be played in semi-cloudy weather with sunshine throughout the day. It’ll be a high of 62 degrees and a low of 44 degrees. Winds will get up to about five to 10 mph, and there is less than a 7% chance of rain in the afternoon. Saturday’s game will be played in warmer weather with a high of 67 degrees, followed by Sunday’s high of 73 degrees.
Louisiana baseball vs App State history
Series record: Louisiana leads 14-9
In Lafayette: Series tied 6-6
In Boone: Louisiana leads 6-3
Louisiana’s last win: April 2, 2023 (6-0)
App State’s last win: April 1, 2023 (8-5)
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
Louisiana
Behind the Curtain: How Louisiana’s Parole System and Courts Shape Who Goes Free | The Lens
This week on Behind The Lens, the public gets a rare look inside one of the most powerful and least understood parts of Louisiana’s criminal justice system: the parole process.
In Louisiana, Parole Board hearings are sometimes held in public, offering families, victims, attorneys, advocates, and reporters an opportunity to witness how decisions are made about who is granted freedom and who remains incarcerated. But those hearings reveal more than individual cases. They expose the broader tensions shaping punishment, rehabilitation, public safety, and political pressure across the state.
Reporters Bernard Smith and Gus Bennett join editor Katy Reckdahl to examine how parole decisions are influenced not only by testimony inside the hearing room, but also by a growing wave of legal and political changes moving through Louisiana’s courts and legislature. From rulings connected to the Louisiana Supreme Court to election season politics and criminal justice reforms, the episode explores how policy decisions made at the highest levels can directly affect incarcerated people, victims’ families, prosecutors, and entire communities.
The discussion also breaks down how recent state actions involving sentencing, parole eligibility, election dynamics, and judicial oversight are reshaping Louisiana’s criminal justice landscape in real time. Together, the team examines the human consequences behind those decisions and what they reveal about accountability, power, and transparency inside the system.
Theme music by Podington Bear. Additional music “Fading Prospects” by Podington Bear (soundofpicture.com)
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