New York Prison Escape: 12 Prison Officials Placed On Leave As Escape Review Continues
The New York prison escape that led police on a three week manhunt for two escaped prisoners has left 12 prison officials, including the superintendent, on administrative leave as a review into the escape continues.
According to ABC News, 12 Clinton Correctional Facility employees have been placed on administrative leave as a part of the ongoing review into the escape of Richard Matt and David Sweat on June 6, 2015, from the maximum security prison in Dannemora, New York.
The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision released a statement earlier today, which stated that three members of the Clinton Correctional Facility’s Executive Team and nine security staff employees have been placed on administrative leave. A source confirmed to ABC News that the three executives placed on leave include Superintendent Steven Racette, Deputy Superintendent for Security Stephen Brown, and First Deputy Superintendent Donald Quinn.
As of this report, no other information has been released regarding why these 12 prison employees have been put on administrative leave, and while many may believe this means these 12 employees where involved in the escape of Sweat and Matt, Sweat has stated that only prison worker Joyce Mitchell was involved in the process, according to NBC News.
According to a previous report by the Inquisitr, since his capture on Sunday, Sweat has begun opening up about the plan to escape the maximum security prison.
According to the report, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated that Sweat told authorities that the original escape plan was to have Matt and him break out of the maximum security prison, and Mitchell was supposed to meet the two outside of the prison and then kill her husband.
“They would kill (tailor Joyce) Mitchell’s husband, and then get in the car and drive to Mexico on the theory that Mitchell was in love with one or both of them. And then they would go live happily ever after, which is a fairy tale that I wasn’t read as a child. But we all believe what we want to believe,” said Cuomo.
When the plan didn’t go as scheduled, Sweat and Matt reportedly headed north on foot, with plans to head into Canada. On Friday, June 26, 2015, police shot and killed inmate Richard Matt, and two days later, police shot and wounded David Sweat, which lead to his capture.
So far, only two New York prison employees have been charged in aiding the two prisoners’ escapes from the Clinton Correctional Facility, and Sweat is now facing additional charges for his escape.
Stay with the Inquisitr as more information continues to unfold regarding the New York prison escape fallout.
[Photo by Eric Thayer / Getty Images]
