The number one job of any sheriff is simple: keep the inmates locked up. When that fails, you alert the public—immediately.
But after ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish jail, Sheriff Susan Hutson stayed silent. No citywide alert. No press briefing. Nothing.
A retired federal agent who helped lock up one of the escapees said it best: “I had to hear it through the grapevine.”
He was stunned and deeply unsettled. He felt unsupported and immediately began preparing to defend himself and his family, should the need arise.
Ten Escaped. No Warning. No Plan.
Let that sink in. Ten men walked out of a secure facility. Several of them were violent offenders with serious criminal histories.
According to reports, the escape route had cleanly cut bars. Not bent. Not rusted. Cut.
That suggests power tools. That suggests inside help. That screams failure of leadership.
Instead of immediate accountability, Sheriff Hutson offered silence. OPSO didn’t even discover the escape until 8:30 a.m.—over seven hours later.
The public didn’t learn about it until 10:18 a.m. A press conference wasn’t held until 11 a.m.—a full ten hours after the breakout.
That delay matters. While violent criminals were at large, the public stayed unaware and unprotected.
The sheriff failed to do the basic job: inform and protect. Public safety should come first. It clearly did not.
The Worst Explanation Is No Explanation
Escapes happen. But when they do, you act fast. You inform the public. You launch an investigation. And you hold someone accountable.
Instead, we got conspiracy theories.
Hutson had an opportunity to own the crisis. She could have explained that her staff is underpaid, undertrained, and overstretched.
She could have demanded more funding. Or she could have shown how creative leadership has kept the jail operating despite limited resources.
She could have asked the public to support increased investment in recruitment, training, and infrastructure.
Instead, she gave us excuses. And excuses don’t inspire confidence.
Her Millage Barely Passed
Even more shocking? Just weeks before the breakout, her millage tax passed—by only two votes. In deep-blue New Orleans.
Two votes. That’s the thinnest margin possible. If one family had stayed home, it would have failed.
That should have been a wake-up call.
Instead, Hutson seems more focused on deflecting blame than addressing the growing doubts about her leadership.
The close vote shows growing skepticism. Voters are watching, and the margin proves her support is thinner than it seems.
She had the chance to show why every vote mattered. She didn’t.
Deputies or Double Agents?
If Sheriff Hutson’s theory is true, it’s even worse. If her own deputies helped inmates escape, then her department is compromised.
So, if her staff can be bribed or manipulated, how safe is the city? And how effective is her leadership?
Trust and loyalty start at the top. If she can’t inspire it, she shouldn’t expect it.
And if deputies are being used as scapegoats to deflect blame, that speaks to another kind of leadership failure: fear of responsibility.
Related: Sheriff Hutson gets a much needed win!
This Could Cost Her the Election
Escapes are always bad. During an election? They’re political disasters.
But instead of turning this into a call for reform, Hutson made it worse.
She didn’t lead. She didn’t reassure. And she didn’t protect.
She panicked.
A smart leader would’ve framed the escape as the unfortunate result of an underfunded system and explained how she was navigating it.
She could’ve reminded voters that the job is hard, dangerous, and thankless—and that more resources are essential.
Instead, she floated a theory that political enemies coordinated with staff to free violent criminals.
That’s not just weak—it’s reckless.
Worse than the breakout was the cover-up. Worse than the escape was the spin.
The public deserves truth. We deserve competence. We deserve a sheriff who leads.
Can citizens trust Sheriff Hutson to protect them? Is she strong enough to lead? Is she the right person for the job?
This jailbreak—and the tone-deaf response that followed—puts her reelection at serious risk.
It should.
This blame isn’t solely with Sheriff Hutson. Clearly, this was a systemic failure. I’d like someone to answer these questions: (1)What procedure is in place with the 911 communication, if a caller reports (and describes what appears to be escaping inmates)? Something or someone should have triggered a response. (2) Why are people who have been convicted of a state or federal crime, still waiting at the OCJ for a sentencing trial. It seems to me that, that an inmate can be transferred to the proper custodian and have a virtual sentencing trial. (3) Why don’t we provide mandatory educational GED opportunities for inmates that lack basic numeracy and literacy skills. as a part of the intake process. The handwriting on the wall seemed to be that of a child and not an adult male. I’ll close by stating again: it’s a systemic failure. There’s no room for political posturing at any level whether it’s political opponents or elected local and state officials. Get to the table and solve the problems with a partnership between law enforcement, decision makers and community members.