Ten inmates escaped from the New Orleans jail. Six of them are still out there. Some were awaiting trial for violent crimes, and law enforcement has confirmed they are armed and dangerous.

This was not a clever escape. It was a complete breakdown of security at the Orleans Justice Center. The inmates slipped out through a hole behind a toilet, sawed through metal bars, climbed a fence, and walked out. It took seven hours for jail officials to realize they were gone.

We now know this was not just a failure of infrastructure. It was also an inside job. A jail employee has already been arrested for helping the escape. Court documents say he shut off the water so the men could dismantle their plumbing and sneak out undetected. He claims he was threatened, but this should never have been possible in the first place.

This is a public safety emergency. Six dangerous fugitives are still missing. And this jail has been under federal oversight for years, yet the problems keep getting worse. Faulty locks, staff shortages, delayed headcounts, and ignored warnings have created a situation that puts every New Orleans resident at risk.

We are demanding two things. First, that every possible resource be dedicated to locating and safely apprehending the remaining escapees. Second, that city and state officials move immediately to conduct a full, independent investigation into jail leadership and operations, followed by permanent reforms to stop this from happening again.

The people of New Orleans deserve to be safe. We deserve a jail system that protects the public, not one that lets dangerous individuals walk free due to carelessness and corruption. Sign the petition to demand action now.

[Photo Credit: Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office via AP]