“I am temporarily suspending my re-election campaign,” Hutson said in a social media post on Tuesday. “I cannot spend a moment putting politics over your needs.”

The Louisiana Attorney General announced charges against a prison worker on Tuesday for his role in allowing the 10 inmates to escape.

The inmates’ absence was not noticed by guards until seven hours after their escape, raising questions by city leaders about the breakdown in security.

In her social media post, Hutson said her office took “immediate action” in response to the prison break. However, city leaders raised concerns about the breakdown of communication that occurred between law enforcement officials and the prison in the hours after the escape.

“There were procedural failures and missed notifications,” Hutson said. “But there were also intentional wrongdoings. This was a coordinated effort aided by individuals inside our own agency who made the choice to break the law. One arrest has been made, and we are continuing to pursue everyone involved, and that investigation is active and ongoing.”

Hutson shared in a statement after the city council meeting that the prison has dealt with budget constraints as it is “operating with outdated surveillance, aging infrastructure, blind spots in supervision, and critical staffing shortages.”

“These vulnerabilities have been raised repeatedly in our funding requests and now the consequences are undeniable,” Hutson said. 

JAIL EMPLOYEE IN NEW ORLEANS CHARGED IN ESCAPE OF 10 INMATES

In response to the prison break, Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) has commissioned the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections to conduct an audit of the prison.

Ten “seasoned auditors” will be conducting an assessment of jail operations, security, and staffing. The completed audit will be sent to Landry’s desk.