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WEBVTT PARTICULAR HAS BEEN AREALLY GREAT CONCERN FOR YEARSIN THAT JAIL.SCOTT: RIGHT NOW, A WDSUEXCLUSIVE.REACTION FROM THE SHERIFF AND ANATTORNEY REPRESENTING JUSTICECENTER INMATES, ON THE HEELS OFA DEPUTY BEING ARRESTED FORFAILING TO DO HER JOB A FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN15-YEAR-OLD JAQUIN THOMAS BEINGABLE TO HANG HIMSELF IN HISCELL.HIS SUICIDE, UNDISCOVERED FORMORE THAN AN HOUR.26-YEAR-OLD KERIANA ALEXCEE ISCHARGED WITH MALFEASANCE INOFFICE.SULA: INVESTIGATORS SAY THEDEPUTY FAILED TO CHECK ON THOMASEVERY 15-MINUTES, LIKE SHE WASSUPPOSED TO.WDSU REPORTER JENNIFER CROCKETTJOINS US LIVE NOW FROM THEORLEANS JUSTICE CENTER WITH THELATEST ON THAT DEPUTY, ANDCONTINUED CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETYINSIDE.JENNIFER: DEPUTY ALEXI -- DEPUTYALEXCEE WAS RELEASED ON HER OWNRECOGNISANCE SHORTLY AFTER BEINGBOOKED YESTERDAY, THAT'SACCORDING TO THE SHERIFF'SDEPARTMENT.THEY ALSO TOLD US SHE HAD BEENSUSPENDED BEFORE, IN THE SAMEMONTH AS JAQUIN THOMAS'SSUICIDE.>> WE COUNT ON PEOPLE TO DOTHEIR JOB AND WHEN THEY DON'T DOTHEIR JOB THERE HAS TO BECONSEQUENCES. NEARLY SIX MONTHS-- THERE HAS TO BE CONSEQUENCES.JENNIFER: NEARLY SIX MONTHSAFTER 15-YEAR-OLD JAQUIN THOMASUSED A MATRESS COVER TIED TO THEBARS ON THE WINDOW OF HIS JAILCELL TO COMMIT SUICIDE, THERE-ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE DEPUTYWHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHINGHIM ON OCTOBER 17, 201INVESTIGATORS SAID VIDEO SHOWSDEPUTY KERIANA ALEXCEE LEFTTHOMAS'S BODY DANGLING FROMTHOSE BARS FOR 90 MINUTEWALKING REPEATEDLY PAST HIS, DOOR BUT NOT LOOKING INSIDE.SHE IS CHARGED WITH MALFEASANCEIN OFFICE.CLEVELAND TUMBLIN ALSO DIED ATTHE JAIL LAST YEAR.HIS FAMILY REACTING TO THE NEWSOF ALEXCEE'S ARREST WITH THISSTATEMENT, IF WE'RE GOING TO ARREST ANDCHARGE HER FOR BEING AWAY FROMHER POST FOR A SHORT PERIOD OFTIME, WHERE'S THE ARREST WARRANTFOR GUSMAN WHO HAS BEEN ABSENTFOR YEARTHE ORLEANS PARISH PRISON REFORMCOALITION, ALSO CALLING FORCHANGE AT THE TOP, SAYING INPART, PUTTING MS. ALEXCEE THROUGH THESAME SYSTEM THAT INFLICTED HARMAND VIOLENCE ONTO THE ENTIRETHOMAS FAMILY IS AN INJUSTICE.I ASKED ORLEANS PARISH SHERIFFMARLIN GUSMAN FOR HIS REACTIONTO THESE STATEMENTS.>> IT'S NOT ON ME.YOU KNOW, LOOK.WE WORK HARD AND EVERY DAY WWORK HARD TO TRY TO GET GOODRESULTS.JENNIFER BUT THOSE RESULTS: AREN'T HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH,ACCORDING TO KATIE SCHWARTZMANN,WHO REPRESENTS ALL INMATES UNDERGUSMAN'S CONTROL.>> AND 4 YEARS INTO A CONSENTDECREE ORDERED TO CHANGE THE WAYOJC IS RUN, SCHWARTZMANN SAIDTHERE ARE STILL SERIOUSCONCERNS, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTHINCARCERATED AT THE ADULT JAIL.>> I AM GLAD THAT OPP HAS DONE ATHOUROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THEACTIONS OF THIS ONE STAFF MEMBERBUT THE BROADER POLICY ISSUESSTILL NEED TO BE EXAMINED INORDER FOR THERE TO BE RECORRECTIVE ACTION.JENNIFER: SHERIFF GUSMAN TOLD MEDEPUTY ALEXCEE IS CURENTLYSUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY.SHE HAS ONLY BEEN WORKING FORTHE ORLEANS SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTSINCE 2015.I ASKED THE DEPARTMENT ITANYMORE CHARGES COULD BE COMINGFOR OTHER DEPUTIES OR STAFF,

Advertisement Sheriff says he's not to blame for teen inmate's death, condemns arrested deputy's actions The Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition is also calling for change at the top. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The Orleans Parish sheriff on Thursday blamed a deputy for the death last year of a 15-year-old inmate, saying that the death is "not on me."Keriana Alexcee, a 26-year-old deputy employed by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office since 2015, was released on her own recognizance Wednesday after she was booked on a charge of malfeasance in office.Alexcee’s arrest came nearly six months after 15-year-old inmate Jaquin Thomas used a mattress cover tied to the bars in his jail cell window to hang himself."We count on people to do their job, and when they don't do their job, there (have) to be consequences," Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman said.Thomas was housed in the Orleans Justice Center awaiting trial on second-degree murder and aggravated battery charges when he died.Cleveland Tumblin died in the jail last year. His family said that Tumblin’s suicide could have been prevented if he had access to proper care for his mental health issues. His siblings reacted to Wednesday’s arrest with the following statement:"If we're going to arrest and charge her for being away from her post for a short period of time, where's the arrest warrant for Gusman, who has been absent for years?" Wesley and Lois Tumblin said.The Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition is also calling for change at the top."While Keriana Alexcee may have been negligent in her duties, the death of Mr. Thomas was the result of the failure of the entire criminal justice system in general, and the neglect and poor leadership of the sheriff's office in particular -- not one individual," the OPPR said in a statement to WDSU. "For years the jail has been understaffed and poorly managed, and OPSO has failed to adequately train and supervise its deputies. Putting Ms. Alexcee through the same system that inflicted harm and violence onto the entire Thomas family is an injustice."Gusman said he is focused on turning the jail around and does not accept blame for Thomas’s death.“It's not on me,” Gusman said. “We work hard, and every day we work hard to try to get good results.”But those results aren’t happening fast enough, according to Katie Schwartzmann, an attorney with the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center in New Orleans, who represents all inmates under Gusman’s control in the constitutional injustice case against the department.“OJC has been under a consent (decree) since 2013 precisely because of serious safety concerns about people that are incarcerated there,” Schwartzmann said.Four years into enforcement of the consent decree, Schwartzmann said serious concerns remain, especially for youth incarcerated at the adult jail.“I’m glad that (the Orleans Justice Center) has done a thorough investigation of the actions of this one staff member, but the broader policy issues still need to be examined in order for there to be real corrective action,” Schwartzmann said.The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Department could not answer questions Thursday about whether more deputies or jail staff could face charges in connection with Thomas’s death. The department also could not provide details on Alexcee’s previous suspension, but confirmed that she was suspended in October 2016, the same month that Thomas died.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!