On May 16, ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Prison through a hole cut in the wall. Even though they ran in front of a security camera, they were not immediately seen escaping because the deputy in charge of watching the camera left his post to get some food. 

Six of the inmates are charged with murder or attempted murder. Nine of the inmates are awaiting trial. One has been sentenced. Eight of the inmates have been captured. Two remain at large. Thirteen people have been charged with either helping the inmates escape, or providing shelter for them after the escape.

The escape took place about two months before qualifying begins on July 11 for all municipal elections, including mayor, city council, and sheriff. The primary is October 11 and the runoff is November 15. Most public opinion polls taken over the last few years list crime as one of the top concerns for voters. 

The sheriff is responsible for security of the prison, so the election for that office has the most potential to be affected by the jailbreak. However, according to the Bureau of Governmental Research, $71.8 million, or about 79% of the sheriff’s budget, is actually allocated by the city council and approved by the mayor. The sheriff’s office is the third largest city budget item behind police and fire departments. 

Given the role of the mayor and city council in controlling most of the sheriff’s budget, those elections will be affected by the jailbreak. Candidates for mayor and council should expect to receive questions about prison operation at their forums, and voters should factor in candidate plans for the operation of the prison when determining their votes.

Even before the jailbreak, Sheriff Susan Hutson experienced political turbulence. In 2023, she requested an increase of property taxes from 2.8 mills to 5.5 mills for her office. The millage increase was defeated soundly by the voters 91% to 9%. On May 3 of this year, a renewal of an existing 2.4 mill tax just barely passed by razor-thin margins of two votes on election day, and four votes after a recount was taken. Had the renewal failed, the office would have lost 13.1 million dollars in annual revenue. Many observers saw opposition to the millage as an expression of dissatisfaction with Hutson herself, rather than the actual millage. 

The struggles getting the millage passed followed several years of negative publicity for Hutson. This publicity included outbreaks of violence in the jail, and complaints from former supervisors that they were fired without cause, and then replaced by friends of the sheriff without law enforcement qualifications. The office is also under a federal court consent decree, and received criticism from the consent decree monitor that Hutson was not forthcoming about how she managed her budget, or her plan to reduce violence in the prison.  

The jailbreak added to this long series of issues. In response to the jailbreak, Hutson announced that she was suspending her reelection campaign to focus all of her energy on dealing with the crisis, although she has not formally dropped out. 

On June 2, pollster John Couvillon released a poll that showed 63% of the respondents had an unfavorable view of Hutson. There are currently three announced candidates running against the sheriff. Former NOPD Interim Police Chief Michelle Woodfork, Second City Court Constable Edwin Shorty, and retired Criminal District Court Judge Julian Parker have all announced their candidacies.. The Couvillon poll had Woodfork leading with 35%, Hutson at 12%, Shorty at 9%, Parker at 3%, and 42% undecided. 

The city council has been active in investigating the causes of the jailbreak. Council members called a series of special meetings to question Hutson and members of her staff. The sheriff responded that, while she takes responsibility, the main cause of the escapes is insufficient funds to hire more staff and to improve the locks inside the jail. She requested more money for emergency repairs. The council was skeptical that lack of funds is the cause, and wants to see the Hutson manage her current allocation in a more efficient manner.  

The next mayor and council, in their roles controlling most of the sheriff’s budget, will need to work as a team with the sheriff to improve the security and operation of the prison. Voters should also ask the mayoral and council candidates how they would improve the operation of the prison, so that crises such as the current mass escape can be avoided in the future. 

Most Read Stories

Louisiana Senate slams door on reconsidering older split-jury convictions Louisiana Senate slams door on reconsidering older split-jury convictions 
10 key facts about the mighty Mississippi River, one of the nation’s most important waterways10 key facts about the mighty Mississippi River, one of the nation’s most important waterways
Daughter of woman killed in hit ordered by NOPD officer holds final memorialDaughter of woman killed in hit ordered by NOPD officer holds final memorial
Prosecutors ask appeals court to reinstate death sentence for Jimmie Duncan

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Creative Commons License

Robert Collins is a professor of Urban Studies and Public Policy at Dillard, where he holds the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Professorship. He previously held positions as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences...