Attorney General Murrill and District Attorney Jason Williams tour Orleans Parish Jail
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With half of the inmates from the May 16 jailbreak captured, the hunt continues for the remaining escapees.
'We are doing everything we can, and we will recover them and they will face additional charges,' said Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Murrill and District Attorney Jason Williams toured the jail, getting a first-hand look a how those 10 inmates were able to escape.
Fifth inmate captured following Orleans Justice Center escapes
Avoiding questions about funding problems and Sheriff Susan Hutson's future, Williams says his focus is on the escape and bringing those responsible to justice.
'Where they were able to scale the wall, what door they went out of, and how to secure it. I want to see the back portion of that toilet area. So we're going to stand by how it was defeated, so we can figure out who was involved in this jailbreak, who assisted, who knew and when. This is just the beginning of that inquiry,' said Williams.
The attorney general says that her focus is on hardening the security of the jail. That includes replacing faulty locks and door hinges that the inmates exploited to make their escape.
'If we can make sure that they get the right locks and hinges on their doors, you know, that's a big deal. Like that saves us a lot of money on the back end. To me, that's kind of an absolute objective for all of us,' said Murrill.
Two arrested, accused of helping Orleans Justice Center escapees
Murrill also says that an effort must be made to make sure judges do not allow inmates to spend an extended time in the parish prison while awaiting trial and sentencing.
'We aren't going to get long-term structural change in the system at this facility unless we can manage the amount of time that people are having to spend here. And that means their cases have to be moved,' said Murrill.
Murrill adds this is only the beginning of a long investigation on how to make sure the facility is fully equipped.
'There's going to be a lot of interest in continuing to dissect what happened, who, what, when, how, where, why. All of those questions will continue to be evaluated not just by me, but by other people who have decision-making authority,' said Murrill.
The attorney general says the jailbreak needs to be a wake-up call for how the jail operates moving forward.Zeldin slams Whitehouse in heated exchange: Americans 'put President Trump in office because of people like you'
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