Keith was raised in Gert Town, New Orleans, a small neighborhood also known as the 16th Ward that’s also home to Xavier University, a historically black university. With winding roads that run parallel to the Mississippi River and near Mid City, it was there that he was first exposed to sewing.
“I had an auntie that I used to watch sew but I never did it,” said Keith, 62. “I learned everything on sewing machines at Angola, and it’s paid off out here.”
Keith was 18 years old when he was incarcerated. He was released 40 years later after former Governor John Bel Edwards granted him clemency in 2020. For the last five years, he has owned his own tailoring business in Hammond, taking full advantage of his second chance by contributing to the city his mom grew up in.
“I love the work that I do,” he said. “I work for myself, I own my own company and despite some of the challenges we face getting out, every day on the outside is beautiful.”
His customers are members of the Hammond business community – he tailors suits for lawyers and judges and other business members and families. He also makes alterations for the Hammond Police Department’s uniforms as well as tailoring prom, homecoming, and wedding dresses.
He mastered his craft while incarcerated and spent the last 11 years of his imprisonment working as a tailor at the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge. Being the governor’s tailor required an interview and when he received the job, he was transferred from Angola to the Louisiana State Police Barracks in Zachary, a minimum-security correctional facility that houses about 200 men.
“You live at the police barracks, and they drive you to the governor’s mansion,” Keith said. “That was my primary job until I was released in 2020, and I worked five, sometimes six days per week. John Bel Edwards is a beautiful person. He sees the good in people in spite of what we may have done before we got to where we were. His whole family is wonderful.”
The feeling is mutual from the Edwards family, said Donna Edwards, first lady of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024 and founder/president of Louisiana First Foundation and The National Coalition for the Prevention of Human Sex Trafficking.
“Keith Amedee exemplifies the power of second chances for incarcerated individuals. During his time in prison, he took advantage of opportunities to develop new skills, engage in team-building exercises, and participate in self-improvement programs. These experiences helped him grow, set meaningful goals, and prepare for life beyond incarceration,” Edwards said. “After more than 40 years in the prison system, Keith participated in Louisiana Parole Project, which helped him transition back into society. Today, he is a successful tailor and entrepreneur, expanding his customer base and securing contracts within his community. Respected and cherished by many, Keith’s journey is a testament to the transformative impact of second chances.”
When Keith was released in September 2020, the world had changed, and he was thankful to have the support of Parole Project. He learned skills there that helped him open his tailor shop, Amedee’s Creative Creations in June 2021.
“I gained some invaluable skills because I didn’t know how to drive,” he said. “I got my driver’s license, I got my bank account, I got a cell phone. I didn’t know how to use that because when I went in, we were using regular rotary phones.”
Moving forward, he is hoping to expand his business, making leather handbags and embroidering, a skill that he also learned at Angola. While incarcerated he also earned a GED, a paralegal studies degree, worked on HVAC systems, as well as in the kitchen and at the butcher shop to go along with tailoring and leatherwork. He used to sell leather handbags, purses, and wallets at the Angola Prison Rodeo, held biannually in April and October. When he isn’t working, he enjoys shopping for vinyl records, vintage turntables, and other musical equipment. He’s a fan of Jazz, R&B, and Rock music.
“I try to enjoy every day on the outside. I love the work that I do, and it’s relaxing to sew,” he said. “I was young, immature and naïve when I went to prison. I literally grew up in prison. It’s where I became a man and understood how to really appreciate my freedom by missing it so much and missing my family. I think having something you like doing and enjoy doing and having people that you can do it for and appreciate it and they appreciate what you do is important. It gives you a purpose. Success is not always defined by financial status. That can be part of it, but purpose is where success really counts.”
