New York Prison Break: Authorities Question Joyce Mitchell As Possible Accomplice In Prisoners’ Escape

Joyce Mitchell, an industrial training supervisor at New York’s Clinton Correctional Facility, is being questioned in relation to the prison escape of killers David Sweat and Richard Matt as a possible accomplice.

New York Prison Break: Who Is Joyce Mitchell?

Mitchell is suspected of helping prisoners Sweat and Matt stage their elaborate escape from Clinton Correctional Facility over the weekend. Sweat and Matt used power tools to cut through steel walls and pipes, and one of the questions plaguing investigators is how the prisoners were able to get their hands on the power tools necessary for their escape. Not to mention how they gained knowledge of the prison’s underground pipe system and set up.

Mitchell, 51, has been identified as a prison worker who is being investigated for possible ties to the prison escape. She worked as a supervisor in the prison tailor shop since 2008, but was removed from her post after the escape. According to her Facebook page, she is a mother of one – her son is in the Air Force – and a grandmother.

As part of her job, she teaches inmates how to tailor clothing. Both Matt and Sweat worked in her tailor shop. Mitchell was reportedly questioned on Saturday and officers also searched her home, but she has not been formally charged with any crime. Authorities are looking into a possible relationship between Mitchell and one of the escapees.

Authorities are also looking into contractors and other civilians working at the prison. Matt and Sweat were kept in the “Honor Block,” as a reward for good behavior. In the “Honor Block,” the two were allowed to wear civilian clothing and spend more time out of their cells. Inmates in the “Honor Block” also work closely with plumbers and electricians working in the prison, giving them direct access to power tools. Investigators are currently looking into the possibility that one of the prisoners used a guitar case to transport and hide the power tools.