Gov. Landry nominates longtime parole manager to run Louisiana’s prison system

By Julie O’Donoghue
Contributing Writer

(lailluminator.com) — Gov. Jeff Landry has picked a longtime acquaintance with nearly 30 years of experience working in probation and parole services to run the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which includes the state prison system.

Gary Westcott grew up in the same neighborhood as the governor and graduated from St. Martinville High School a few years before Landry. The governor first appointed Westcott eight months ago to serve as deputy secretary for the agency.

As the department’s new leader, Westcott replaces Jimmy LeBlanc, who ran the department for four governors over 17 years. LeBlanc announced his retirement last week.

Westcott has extensive experience in parole and probation services, one of the corrections secretary’s main responsibilities along with managing prisons.

He served in the state Division of Probation and Parole for 29 years, retiring in 2020 as a regional administrator who oversaw offices from Lake Charles to New Orleans, according to a press release from the governor’s office. From 2020 to 2024, he also worked at the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office as a warden.

Guy Cormier, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Landry and Westcott, said Westcott is detail-oriented and organized. He took his job in probation and parole very seriously and Cormier, a former St. Martin Parish president who now leads the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, said he believes he is a good fit for the corrections secretary job.

Like Landry, Westcott was a member of the Louisiana National Guard and a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He is also the head volleyball coach for Catholic High in New Iberia.

When asked if Landry has a personal relationship with Westcott, Landry’s office released the statement from the governor:

“Of course I do. Do you think I appoint people I don’t know?”
Westcott lives in Loreauville.

This article originally published in the September 2, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.