Tearful 'Shawshank' prison worker, Joyce Mitchell pleads guilty to helping two convicted killers in elaborate escape plan.
51-year old Joyce Mitchell - a former prison worker, has pleaded guilty to smuggling hacksaw blades in frozen hamburger meat to two convicted killers who later broke out and spent more than two weeks on the run.
Mitchell, a tailor shop instructor at Clinton Correctional Facility in New York, was arrested shortly after the elaborately staged June 6 escape of Richard Matt and David Sweat.
Matt was shot and killed by searchers on June 26, about 30 miles west of the prison while Sweat was captured near the Canadian border two days later and sent to another prison.
Mitchell, who cooperated with investigators, wept as she pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony, and misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal facilitation.
She faces a sentence of 2 1/3 years to 7 years in prison and $6,000 in fines under the terms of a plea deal with prosecutors. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 28.
Meanwhile, she could be released from jail on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond. She was suspended without pay from her job when she was arrested June 12 and has been in jail since then. She admitted providing hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch tool and a screwdriver to Matt.