One day after Governor Edwards announced more changes at the Bridge City Youth Prison, State Senator Patrick Connick is calling on the state to permanently close the facility.
This comes just days after six inmates escaped the facility. One of them is accused of carjacking and shooting a New Orleans man before being caught. That escape is the latest in a series of escapes at the prison. It happened despite security enhancements at the facility ordered by the governor.
"The system failed," Sen. Connick (R-Marrero) told WWL's Tommy Tucker on Tuesday. "The protections that the governor put in a month ago failed."
Sen. Connick said he and other Jefferson Parish residents are glad that some of the inmates are being moved to Angola.
"I think it's a little late, but we can't dwell on the past," Sen. Connick said.
Sen. Connick says the funding is there to build replacement juvenile prisons and shut down Bridge City once and for all. He is calling on Governor Edwards and the state legislature to commit to building replacements for the current facility.
"We have money to build these facilities around the state to house these types of kids who are in need of help and who have no regard for others, and hopefully we can get that done over the next few years," Sen. Connick said. "We have money in the budget--in think $50 million this year--to build facilities. Now we just have to get them started (and) find a place to build them and construct them."
Sen. Connick says residents are banding together to force the state to close the Bridge City prison.
"There's a group of people gathered in Bridge City and around Nine Mile Point," Sen. Connick said. "They're meeting today."
As for the Bridge City inmates going to Angola, Sen. Connick had this to say.
"Good luck getting out of there," he quipped.
