When 10 inmates sneak out of the Orleans Justice Center through a hole behind a toilet, it becomes more than just a security failure, but an infrastructure failure as well. Faulty locks, delayed staff response and poor plumbing oversight culminated in a perfect storm for the escape.
A jail maintenance worker has been arrested for allegedly helping 10 inmates escape the Louisiana facility, AP News reports. The worker admitted to turning off water to a toilet that covered a hole in a cell wall allowing for the group to move the toilet and crawl through the gap. Six of the escapees are still at large.
The escape occurred when a lone guard left to get food. Authorities believe it to be a coordinated inside job, with three sheriff’s employees suspended and more potentially involved.
A delayed head count also meant law enforcement wasn’t notified until more than nine hours after the jailbreak. Sheriff Susan Hutson has taken full responsibility for the incident but claims staffing shortages and internal corruption contributed to the breakdown.
Correctional facilities are meant to keep people in. At the Orleans Justice Center, though, key elements of the building itself broke down under pressure. Flaws in a facility’s physical integrity can compromise its main mission of security.
The flaws were a faulty cell door, an easily moveable toilet and a hole in the wall obscured by the toilet, all of which helped set the scene for an almost cinematic escape. However, none of this necessitated complicated planning or special tools. Instead, all that was needed was knowledge of the facility’s weak points.
When critical infrastructure is allowed to deteriorate, it places the entire facility at risk of being unsecure.
Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.
