Overview
- Ten inmates escaped Orleans Parish Prison by forcing cell locks and breaching a wall behind toilets on May 16, exploiting known infrastructure flaws.
- As of May 17, three escapees have been apprehended, while seven remain at large and are considered armed and dangerous.
- The prison, housing 1,400 inmates, has faced chronic understaffing and budget shortfalls, with officials citing defective cell locks as a key security failure.
- The sheriff's office suspects insider assistance may have facilitated the escape, with investigations into staff involvement ongoing.
- This large-scale jailbreak is one of the most significant in recent U.S. history, prompting a $5,000 reward for information leading to the fugitives' capture.