ST. GABRIEL — Thirty-six inmates have died at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center so far this year, according to data provided to the WBRZ Investigative Unit by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

Four of those deaths involved drug overdoses, while 11 remain unexplained.

However, reporting shows the string of unexpected deaths halted at the end of March following the implementation of new policies and procedures—changes prompted, in part, by WBRZ’s ongoing investigative reports.

The Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office investigates every death that occurs inside the facility. Early in the year, calls to the prison were so frequent that DOC staff established a dedicated parking spot for responding deputies.

"I mean, let's back up. We were having three or four [deaths] back to back," Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said.

According to Stassi, the pace of those death investigations has dropped sharply in recent months.

"Over the past weeks and months, we have seen a big decline in the amount of what we call suspicious deaths or overdose-type deaths," Stassi said.

Stassi credits the decrease to a joint push between his office and the DOC to halt contraband flow and target corrupt staff members.

"I think the high, intense pressure on people coming in the facility, the amount of employees being arrested for bringing in contraband on site, and us having a zero tolerance is making a difference," Stassi said.

Data tracked by the WBRZ Investigative Unit highlights the shift in enforcement. In 2025, the sheriff's office arrested only three employees at Hunt. In 2026, charges have been filed against 20 individuals who were either actively employed at the prison or charged following their termination.

"We have set a standard, and we work daily to try and reach that standard," Stassi added.

Leadership at the facility has also changed. Warden Travis Day took charge in February, becoming Hunt's fourth warden in four years.

"I can tell you that we are in a better spot today than we were in February, than we were in March, than we were in April, May, June," Day said. "It's definitely changed. There's been a major turnaround here."

DOC Chief of Operations Seth Smith pointed to state-level administrative support as another key factor, particularly a $5-per-hour pay raise for new hires at Hunt under Governor Jeff Landry's administration.

"In doing that, we've reduced the amount of vacancies significantly, we've increased the quality of what we can hire," Smith said. "Now, we've got some great employees, but obviously we've got some very bad ones too that we hired, and now we have the time and the manpower to weed those out."

Smith noted that improved staffing levels have altered day-to-day operations and prison culture.

"I can tell you the grounds look better, the inmates have a better morale, the staff has a better morale," Smith said. "It's really made a 180. It's a huge difference than where it was a year ago."

Despite the drop in suspicious deaths since the spring, facility leaders and law enforcement emphasize that oversight remains an ongoing challenge.

"There was a pretty influential guy that once said that success is not a continuum, it's momentary," Smith said. "And I think that that is no more perfectly said than in corrections."