Sheriff Susan Hutson has suspended her reelection campaign after taking responsibility for a jailbreak where 10 prisoners broke out of the Orleans Justice Center early Friday.
Hutson announced suspending her campaign shortly after posting that she took "full accountability for this breach that occurred under my leadership."
Local WWL-TV reported that a fifth prisoner had been captured following the breakout. The five remaining escapees are considered to be dangerous.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill toured the jail and commented that everything had changed. She said infrastructure failures and security gaps likely played a role in the mass escape. A jail staff member was arrested for helping set up the breakout.
Hutson agreed there was a need for a more secure jail facility, posting, "The conditions that made this possible aren't new. We need action now to protect our city and prevent this from ever happening again."
WWL reported on Tuesday that the state had transferred 63 prisoners from the jail to facilities considered to be more secure.
Hutson stressed in her reelection statement that, at least initially, she considered her campaign suspension decision to be temporary. "I cannot spend a moment putting politics over your needs," she said.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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