On Tuesday, the Louisiana Attorney General’s office announced the arrest of a 33-year-old maintenance worker from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in connection with the escape of 10 jail inmates.
Sterling Williams admitted to the authorities that one of the inmates had asked him to turn off the water supply to their cell, enabling them to escape through a hole behind the toilet. Rather than reporting the situation, Williams complied with the request, enabling the inmates to escape successfully. Williams now faces 10 counts of aiding in simple escape and malfeasance in office.
Sheriff Susan Hutson suspects that the jailbreak was an inside job and has disclosed that three employees have been suspended pending an investigation. She emphasised how difficult it would be to escape the Orleans Justice Center without assistance, given that 1,400 individuals are detained there.
The inmates absconded early on Friday while the guard on duty left to get food. The sheriff’s office noted that at least one steel bar protecting plumbing fixtures had been deliberately cut with a tool. The escaped inmates discarded their uniforms and put on regular clothing. Their absence, despite some of them facing charges or convictions for serious offences such as murder, went unnoticed for hours. Four individuals have been recaptured, while six remain at large. Following the escape, Sheriff Hutson highlighted longstanding issues such as faulty locks and understaffing. However, many state and local officials are holding her accountable for failing to ensure that the inmates remained securely detained. On Tuesday, the New Orleans City Council is set to meet with the sheriff’s office and other relevant authorities to address the jail break.
