Early on May 16, 2025, ten prisoners staged a brazen breakout from New Orleans’ Orleans Justice Center in Louisiana, crawling through an opening behind a toilet and disappearing into the darkness. The escape, not detected until an 8:30 a.m. roll call, has initiated an enormous manhunt, highlighted significant security weaknesses, and fueled suspicion of insider complicity. Three of the breakaways have been apprehended, but seven escaped and are on the loose, generating alarm for public safety.
The breakout got underway at 12:23 a.m. as prisoners who manipulated a malfunctioning cell door opened another cell. There, the prisoners broke through a wall behind the toilet into a maintenance tunnel. The prisoners were seen on surveillance video walking out of the loading area through blankets used as laddered ascent devices to climb a barbed-wire fence and then running across Interstate 10, exchanging their orange uniforms for street clothes. A mocking graffiti sign near the point of egress read “To Easy LoL” that highlighted the brazenness of the breakout.
The escape went unnoticed for over seven hours due to glaring security lapses. Only one officer was assigned to the unit, and they were on a break fetching food. A civilian staff member tasked with monitoring cameras had also stepped away, leaving the live feed unwatched. The Orleans Justice Center, built in 2015 for $145 million to house 900 inmates, currently holds over 1,500, straining its infrastructure and staffing.
By Friday night, three of the ten escapees were back in custody, each airlifted by helicopter to higher-security facilities to prevent further escapes. Kendall Myles, age 20, was caught in the French Quarter, under a vehicle in the Hotel Monteleone’s garage. Myles, with history of breaking out from a youth center in 2022, is accused of second-degree murder by attempt and robbery with a firearm related to an autojacking. Robert Moody, aged 21, accused of trafficking in drugs and battery of another, was arrested in Central City on the basis of a Crime Stoppers tip. Dkenan Dennis, aged 24, who was arrested for the offenses of robbery with weapons, was caught close to Chef Menteur Highway.
The breakout has intensified scrutiny on the Orleans Justice Center, which has been under federal oversight since 2013 due to chronic violence, understaffing, and crumbling infrastructure. Sheriff Susan Hutson, who oversees the facility, acknowledged that the escape likely involved internal assistance, stating,
“It’s almost impossible for anyone to get out without help.”
Three employees have been suspended without pay as investigators probe potential complicity. The facility’s defective locks and nonfunctional cameras—about one-third were inoperable—further enabled the escape.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has called for an independent investigation, slamming the delayed public notification as “unacceptable.” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams described the incident as
“an unprecedented failure,”
expressing fear for witnesses and victims linked to the escapees’ cases. The Sheriff’s Office is also examining whether recent construction work created vulnerabilities, with forensic teams analyzing tools used to cut the escape hole.
The escape has reignited debates about funding and reform for New Orleans’ jail system. Sheriff Hutson has long advocated for $5.2 million to replace defective locks, a request unmet by city officials. The incident has also drawn political fire, with some speculating it could influence upcoming sheriff elections, though Hutson dismissed such claims as speculative.
Governor Jeff Landry vowed swift action, declaring,
“To the others: You are next!”
The FBI has bolstered the manhunt with a $5,000 reward for tips leading to arrests, while facial recognition and surveillance technologies are being deployed to track the fugitives. The New Orleans Police Department, U.S. Marshals, and Louisiana State Police are combing the city and beyond, warning that the seven remaining escapees—four of whom face second-degree murder charges—are armed and dangerous.
