Help after prison or jail in Louisiana
We've found 10 places in Louisiana for people after prison or jail, mostly in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport, and 5 that serve the whole state. Our volunteers haven't confirmed these yet, so a quick call ahead is worth it. Most of them help with food (5), shelter & housing (5) and health & medication (5).
Places in Louisiana
Louisiana 211
Information and referral line covering Louisiana's 64 parishes, operated by a collaboration of eight nonprofits. Dial 211 or text your zip code to be pointed to health and human services near you.
Reentry Initiatives and Transitional Work Programs
The state corrections department runs regional reentry programs, transitional work programs that start six months to four years before release, jail-based transition specialists, and the Return for Good employer portal. Questions about reentry workforce programs go to reentryworkforce@la.gov.
Vital Records Registry
Where Louisiana birth certificates are issued. Louisiana is a closed-record state, so you need photo ID, the exact fee, and a completed application. Walk in at the New Orleans central office, mail the application to the PO Box (8-10 weeks), or go through a participating Clerk of Court.
SNAP Eligibility and Application
Louisiana's food-stamp program, now administered by LDH. Apply online through the LA CAFE self-service portal, by phone at 888-LAHelp-U, or on paper in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or large print. After you file, an LDH worker calls for a phone interview.
Ozanam Inn
Downtown New Orleans shelter open since 1955 offering food, shelter, clothing, and showers free to anyone in need, men and women, with emergency shelter and residential programs for women at the Poydras Street facility. Health screenings come through LSU, Tulane, and Healthcare for the Homeless partners.
New Orleans Mission
Faith-based shelter on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard with a 21-day guest stay offering food, clothing, and a bed with no questions asked. Longer-term residents can move into a year-long discipleship recovery program at the Giving Hope (men, Lacombe) or Lynhaven (women, Hammond) retreats, with job training and case management.
Bridge House / Grace House
Long-term residential substance-use treatment for people who cannot afford private care: homeless, uninsured, underinsured, or unemployed adults in the New Orleans area. Bridge House serves men and Grace House serves women; pregnant women get priority admission. Everything starts with a call to the intake department.
St. Vincent de Paul of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge's main safety-net charity, with emergency shelter, food, pharmacy and dental assistance, and a One Stop Day Center on weekdays. On hot weekends a cooling center opens at 1623 Convention Street. Call the main office to ask about a shelter bed or other help.
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana (CADA)
Shreveport treatment provider with a 28-day residential program, an optional 90-day stepdown, intensive and individual outpatient care, and family support groups. Residential beds are available for pregnant women and women with children. The phone line is answered 24 hours a day for a confidential screening, and staff help uninsured callers apply for Medicaid or state-funded care.
Acadiana Legal Service Corporation
Free civil legal aid across 42 Louisiana parishes for low-income people: evictions and housing conditions, public benefits, debt and consumer problems, protective orders and family law, and replacing lost documents after disasters. Apply online any time or call the intake line during limited morning and Thursday-afternoon hours.
National lines that work in Louisiana
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.