Louisiana Correctional Officer Arrested for Malfeasance in Office After Alleged Inappropriate and Criminal Behavior

Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana - A correctional officer at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Louisiana has been arrested on charges of malfeasance in office after an investigation revealed inappropriate and criminal behavior with an offender at the facility.

The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office stated on January 4, 2023, that a Raymond Laborde Correctional (RLCC) Officer had been arrested for Malfeasance in Office.

Raymond Laborde Correctional Center Investigators notified the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office on December 28, 2022, citing violations committed by a Correctional Officer employed at the Correctional Center. Further investigation indicated that April Pickney, 34, of Opelousas, Louisiana, had inappropriate and criminal behavior with an offender at RLCC.

Pickney was arrested by APSO Deputies on December 30, 2022, for Malfeasance in Office and booked at the APSO DC-1 Jail Facility, pursuant to an Arrest Warrant issued by a 12th Judicial District Court Judge. The bail was set at $5,000. That following day, she was released on bond. RLCC investigators are still looking into the matter. Pickney no longer works at RLCC.

In a press release, Avoyelles Parish Sheriff David L. Dauzat said, “We will continue to work with our partners like Raymond Laborde Correctional Center to swiftly take action against these types of crimes. Misconduct and corruption will not be tolerated.”

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.