Teenage murder suspect escapes jail for the second time

Police have reported that a 17-year-old murder suspect, who had already escaped from a Louisiana youth jail, broke free once again on Saturday with another teenager suspected of murder. The escape occurred at the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center, and authorities are currently investigating how it happened. Both the Baton Rouge police and the U.S. Marshals Service have initiated a search for the two 17-year-olds.

This is not the first time one of the youths managed to escape. On November 13, the teenager, who has been charged with second-degree murder, successfully fled the facility along with another detainee during the chaos of a fight that broke out among prisoners. After a search lasting over 24 hours, they were eventually apprehended.

The East Baton Rouge juvenile facility has faced ongoing criticism due to its recurring escape incidents and instances of violence, as reported by The Advocate. 

After overpowering a staff member, five inmates managed to escape in 2021 by seizing her keys and imprisoning her in a cell devoid of communication means. Some of the prisoners additionally assaulted staff members using makeshift knives. The following February, a brawl involving eight teenagers resulted in three of them sustaining injuries.

To address the security concerns raised by these incidents, East Baton Rouge Parish allocated $2 million for upgrading their security measures. Despite the escape that occurred in November, parish authorities reported that the implementation of these upgrades was still in the initial stages of planning and design. 

According to The Associated Press.