James Lavigne

James Lavigne is a lead carpenter for the Louisiana Military Department at the Gillis W. Long Center in Louisiana. Since coming home, he has spent his time giving back—to his parents, his wife, his nephew, and to others returning from incarceration. He has mentored returning citizens, supported elderly neighbors, and worked with people experiencing homelessness. While incarcerated, James helped launch hospice and mentoring programs, tutored dozens of peers working toward their GEDs, and earned two Apex Awards for Journalism for his work on The Walk Talk, a prison magazine.

James was arrested in 1992 at age 19 for his role in an armed robbery and murder. He was sentenced to life without parole and served 31 years before Governor John Bel Edwards commuted his sentence to 60 years, making him eligible for parole. He came home two years ago. “Seeing the victim’s father testify at my trial was the first time I realized that I had caused irreparable damage to a family,” James says. “With every passing year, I took greater responsibility for my actions.”

James lives by this belief: “Nothing ever changes without effort.”