Legal Question in Criminal Law in Louisiana

Life without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence means life. Otherwise life means until the person is eligible to request parole.

A life sentence means the convict has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison. Many "lifers" will be eligible to apply for parole at some point, but whether they will actually get it is another question. Other lifers are not eligible for parole; in theory they can only be released via a successful court challenge or via a pardon or grant of clemency.

Even where an inmate is eligible for parole, whether his request is granted or denied will depend upon the facts of his case, his other convictions (if any) and his conduct while in prison.

It is possible that the laws which limit a given inmate's chances of release will be relaxed in the future, so that parole will become more available for those who have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. It may also become easier for other lifers to get paroled in the future. I don't know how likely such changes really are, but there is always reason for hope.