Vicky White was set to accept employee of the year award

The Alabama corrections boss who helped a capital murder suspect break out of a county jail had been voted “employee of the year” five times – including as recently as this year, The Post has learned. 

Vicky White, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday after she was found with escaped convict Casey Cole White in Indiana, received the award five times in the last eight years and was due to be honored at a ceremony this week, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told The Post Wednesday.

The 56-year-old, who was tracked down to a dingy, roadside motel in Evansville following an 11-day manhunt, was nominated and voted for the award by her peers, Singleton said. 

“That speaks volumes in terms of what her peers and subordinates thought of her,” Singleton said. 

“I think it just shows the kind of person that we thought she was. No one that worked with her and knows her ever saw anything like this coming.” 

On the day Vicky broke Casey out of the jail after lying about bringing him to a mental health evaluation, Singleton told reporters helping an inmate escape is “just so totally out of character for her.” 

“But obviously there was a side we didn’t know that we weren’t aware of,” Singleton said. 

The awards are conducted annually for the county’s police week activities and a ceremony honoring the winners was scheduled for this week but given the circumstances, it’s been postponed, Singleton said. 

The second-place winner will now be given the honor instead.

Vicky, who’d been facing numerous felony charges for her role in the escape, shot herself Monday afternoon moments after members of the US Marshals Service crashed into her and Casey’s getaway vehicle following a brief chase. 

The incident, and Vicky’s death, has left her coworkers and other county employees reeling, Singleton said. 

“They’re saddened by [her death]. It’s just a mixed bag of emotions. From fear for her, to disbelief, to anger and now grief,” said Singleton. 

“It’s just taken an emotional toll on our employees, especially those at the detention center who worked with her directly.”