Highlights:

• Ten inmates escaped from Orleans Parish jail on May 16, 2025
• A maintenance worker has been arrested for allegedly assisting in the escape
• Sheriff Susan Hutson has temporarily suspended her re-election campaign
• Governor Jeff Landry called it the biggest jailbreak in state history
• The escape has sparked political backlash and questions about jail oversight

Orleans Jailbreak Sparks Political Fallout for Sheriff Hutson

A high-profile escape, an arrested jail worker, and a suspended campaign: The pressure is mounting in New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS, La. (KPEL News) — When ten inmates busted out of the Orleans Parish jail on May 16, it was more than just a breakout—it was a political powder keg. Within days, the escape led to the arrest of a jail maintenance worker, public outcry, and a full-blown political crisis for Sheriff Susan Hutson.

Now, five inmates are still on the run, and Hutson has temporarily suspended her re-election campaign. What happened inside the jail has quickly become one of the biggest stories in Louisiana politics.

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How the Jailbreak Happened

This wasn’t a slick, made-for-Hollywood escape. It was grimy and deeply concerning. According to investigators, inmates exploited a maintenance vulnerability—removing a toilet to access a hole in the wall and slipping into a mechanical chase. It wasn’t the first time the infrastructure had been flagged for repairs.

READ MORE: 11 Inmates Escape From Orleans Parish Jail, Search Underway

The Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker, had allegedly shut off the water to one of the cells and may have played a role in the escape planning. He was arrested and booked.

Hutson Responds—and Hits Pause on Her Campaign

Sheriff Hutson, elected in 2021 on a reform-minded platform, didn’t sugarcoat the situation. She called it “absolutely unacceptable” and said the department failed in its responsibility to the public.

On Tuesday, Hutson announced she would temporarily suspend her re-election campaign to focus fully on the fallout and internal investigations.

“Still, there is a long road ahead of me to be fully satisfied that the OJC (jail) and my deputies have the proper resources to perform their duties to the fullest extent the people of New Orleans deserve," Hutson said in a statement. "As such, I am temporarily suspending my reelection campaign. I cannot spend a moment putting politics over your needs."

Political Blowback and the Landry Factor

Critics didn’t wait long to pounce. Opponents in the 2025 sheriff’s race are already pointing to the jailbreak as evidence of weak leadership.

Governor Jeff Landry didn’t mince words either. He called the incident the largest jailbreak in Louisiana history and used it to criticize progressive justice reforms, suggesting they’ve made communities less safe.

"Now there is no excuse for the escape of these violent offenders," Landry said. "There is also no excuse for the way these cases are currently being mismanaged in our criminal justice system."

He wasn't the only elected official critical. District Attorney Jason Williams was also outraged.

"I think it's safe to say I'm angry. Um, this is absurd," he said. "This is an unprecedented jailbreak. I don't remember a single time in my lifetime in any American city where 11 people have been able to escape at one time, um. These individuals are not there for minor crimes. I personally prosecuted one of those individuals, and I asked the jury to give him a life sentence."

READ MORE: 5 Down, 5 to Go: Fifth Inmate Captured After Orleans Jail Escape

That’s become the core tension here: Is this a one-off breakdown in jail maintenance and oversight? Or is it part of a bigger story about criminal justice in Orleans Parish?

What Comes Next

The Sheriff's Office says major policy changes are underway. They’re auditing maintenance systems, reviewing staffing procedures, and looking into facility-wide upgrades. But trust, once broken, is hard to fix—especially in New Orleans politics.

With five inmates still out there and election season heating up, Sheriff Hutson now finds herself in a high-stakes moment. Whether she can regain her footing depends not just on capturing escapees, but on convincing voters she’s still the right person to lead.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about one bad night in a broken building. It’s about the system around it—and whether it’s built to protect, reform, or fall apart under pressure.