Things that pissed me off about 'The Young Don't Cry'

I've only seen Sal Mineo in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Exodus" and this of the three roles showed the most range, his sensitive AND tough side. But in this otherwise excellent, intelligent, nuanced and complex coming-of-age film with several interesting characters and their development there are in fact some real blunders:

- Why would Plug not question Les after observing him choose to sit and speak with, out of the entire chain gang, the only two prisoners who escaped? (Plug was driven and not stupid.)

- Why would Plug's deputy shoot an elderly handcuffed prisoner who obviously knew of Rudy's whereabouts given how he ran when Plug asked where Rudy was, particularly when Plug was hellbent on getting an answer?

- When the orphanage was still on lockdown with one escaped killer still on the loose, why would the kindly headmaster let Mineo off the premises to take his boat alone to a nearby island? (The headmaster wasn't stupid either.)

- Am I to assume that Rudy helped himself to the hidden chest of food just because he was lurking in the vicinity and didn't load any onto the escape boat?