Joyce Mitchell Pleads Guilty, Talks ‘Fantasy’ of Running Away With Escaped Convicts

Joyce Mitchell is the prison worker who helped two inmates escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York in June. Now in a new report from NBC News, Mitchell talks of how she was c...
Joyce Mitchell Pleads Guilty, Talks ‘Fantasy’ of Running Away With Escaped Convicts
Written by Kimberly Ripley
  • Joyce Mitchell is the prison worker who helped two inmates escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York in June. Now in a new report from NBC News, Mitchell talks of how she was caught up in a fantasy, as well as how she performed a sexual act on one of the inmates.

    Earlier on Tuesday, Joyce Mitchell pleaded guilty to helping the inmates–Richard Matt and David Sweat–escape from the prison.

    “I believe I helped Inmate Matt and Inmate Sweat escape because I was caught up in the fantasy,” she said in one of three statements obtained by NBC News. “I enjoyed the attention, the feeling both of them gave me and the thought of a different life.”

    Joyce Mitchell also admitted that she knew Matt and Sweat had plans to kill her husband, Lyle Mitchell. She claims she opted not to follow through with the plan to pick up the escaped inmates because she loved her husband.

    Richard Matt and David Sweat were missing for three weeks when Matt was shot and killed on June 26. Sweat was shot and captured alive two days later.

    Joyce Mitchell pleaded guilty to bringing contraband into the prison, which is a felony, as well as to criminal facilitation, which is a misdemeanor. She could serve up to seven years in prison as a result of her crimes.

    “Ms. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the two charges lodged against her because she did commit those offenses and to avoid the possibility of having to face additional charges,” her attorney, Stephen Johnston, said in an interview with People magazine. “She is scheduled to be sentenced September 28.”

    Joyce Mitchell engaged in oral sex and open-mouthed kissing with Richard Matt. He also wore a large coat with a hole cut in it, through which she would touch his genitals.

    “This happened two or three times,” she said. “The only other physical contact I had with Inmate Matt was when he kissed me at the bottom of the first set of stairs. He never touched any of my private areas.”

    Joyce Mitchell says she wasn’t involved sexually with David Sweat, but she did take pictures of herself for him.

    “I did take some naked photos of my breasts and vagina and gave them to Inmate Matt to give to Inmate Sweat. I do not know what they did with the photos,” she said.

    Clearly Joyce Mitchell was caught up in a fantasy–although it seems a bit unclear if she has a full grasp on what is fact and what is fiction. It almost seems like these inmates knew she was quite naive, and they took full advantage of that fact.

    Nonetheless Joyce Mitchell played a huge role in aiding these inmates before and during their escape, even if she didn’t wind up driving the getaway vehicle. She certainly deserves whatever time she receives as part of her sentencing.

    Joyce Mitchell will be sentenced on September 28.

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