Newell & Dave Cohen, in-depth with Orleans Parish Sheriff candidates: Orleans Parish jailbreak, ICE detainment, attack ads, and more

At 10:30 am on May 16th, 2025, the NOPD received an alert: A jailbreak had occurred at the Orleans Parish Justice Center around 1:00 am.

At 2:36 pm, long after news of the 10-inmate escape had flooded the airwaves, TV screens, and social media, the public received its official mobile alert:

"NOLAREADY: The NOPD is assisting OPSO after subjects escaped custody. There is no known threat, but stay aware and report suspicious activity to 9-1-1."

Photos from the escape surfaced. Inmates had removed the toilet, sawed through the cell wall, and even paused to inscribe a message for OP Deputies: "To Easy LoL."

As news of the break blossomed internationally, the mocking images became symbols of the severe dysfunction and total failure of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's office to fulfill its most basic duty.

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On October 11th, Orleans Parish citizens will vote to elect the next sheriff, who will lead the struggling agency and use its $70 million budget to address glaring issues.

Most recent polls show former NOPD superintendent Michelle Woodfork with a commanding lead in the OP Sheriff's race with 45% support.

Current Sheriff Susan Hutson finds herself in a distant second, around 10%. At 8%, Constable for the 2nd City Court in Orleans Parish Edwin Shorty is in third place.

Tuesday, Newell Normand and WWL News Director Dave Cohen held in-depth interviews with two of the three top polling candidates.

The discussions cover a range of subjects, including the failures that led to and unfolded in the occurrence and aftermath of the Orleans Parish Justice Center jailbreak. They also offer opinions on how they plan to work with federal agencies like ICE, and whether they believe investing in mental health facilities is worthwhile, and defending their records against attack ads

"There's never a reason to say there's an escape, and the sheriff doesn't find out about it for 7 hours, and how you aren't immediately notified that you have this breach that's on video."

"It's fair to say that there are people with certain mental health issues who should not be in the general population. Do I think we should have had an $80 million facility to house them? Probably not."

"We're all law enforcement. We cooperate with each other. If ICE asks for something, we're going to respond to ICE...We don't have the ability to pick and choose what federal orders we're going to adhere to."

"We had a disagreement on reassigning him back to her executive protection team and also exonerating him... At the end of the day, I'm always going to do what's right no matter what the political cost."

"The most egregious lie he's telling is that my disciplinary record stopped me from being the permanent Superintendent (NOPD). That is an outright lie."

"The current sheriff wants to talk about things put in place by the federal consent decree. I think that is a cop out in order to not work with ICE. I've worked with my federal partners throughout my career, and I'll continue to work with them and follow the law."

Woodfork: "I did everything I set out to do, every goal...We brought down crime 25%, tripled recruitment..."

Cohen: "Just to make sure we understand, you believe your refusal to exonerate Jeffery Vappie ultimately led to the mayor not wanting you to continue as police chief?"

Woodfork: "I think it played a huge part in it. And I think all those things are going to come out in this federal investigation."

One of Hutson's spokespersons informed WWL producers minutes before her interview that she could not join, "due to an emergency, "in the jail."

Further details were not disclosed to WWL.WWL has offered Hutson the opportunity to reschedule.