New Orleans jail break: 10 prisoners escape, massive hunt on

New Orleans is witnessing a large-scale manhunt in the city after 10 prisoners escaped from the New Orleans Jail. The prisoners started escaping in the early hours of May 16, 2025, alarming the local residents and there was a chorus for a thorough investigation.

The inmates planned their escape by breaking through behind a cell toilet. The surveillance footage revealed several inmates tampering with a locked door at 12:22 a.m., and had breached a wall by 1:01 a.m. Above the hole that led them out of the cell, the wall was scrawled with “we innocent”, “we out” and “to easy LOL”.

Further, the escapees used a loading dock to exit, blankets to help scale the perimeter wall and fled into the city. Much of this escape was caught on camera, which was released late Friday night.

The prison authorities were clueless about the jail break for over seven hours, till the routine headcount scheduled at 8:30 a.m. Moreover, the authorities, including local, state and federal agencies, were not alerted until hours after.

Out of the 10, only three escapees have been recaptured. The others, individuals charged with murder and violent offences, are still to be tracked

All the escapees have been mentioned as armed and dangerous by the authorities and the locals have been warned to stay vigilant. The past victims and witnesses, if any of the escapees have been relocated for safety reasons.

Investigating authorities strongly suspect that the escape was helped by strong inside help. The complex task of the escape and the need for tools to remove the toilet must have definitely needed assistance, authorities believe.
"It's almost impossible - not completely - but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help from the outside," Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said.

Hutson stated that three employees have been placed on administrative leave owing to the outcome of the investigation. Jail’s staffing and lock systems are also under review.