Prison worker pleads guilty in escape of 2 killers

July 28, 2015 at 10:15 p.m. | Updated July 29, 2015 at 12:55 a.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - In this June 15, 2015, file photo, Joyce Mitchell appears before Judge Mark Rogers in Plattsburgh, N.Y., City Court for a hearing. The New York prison worker accused of smuggling hacksaw blades in frozen hamburger meat to two killers who later broke out and spent more than two weeks on the run will face charges in court and will be arraigned on Tuesday, July 28, 2015. (G.N. Miller/New York Post via AP, Pool, File)
FILE - In this June 15, 2015, file photo, Joyce Mitchell appears before Judge Mark Rogers in Plattsburgh, N.Y., City Court for a hearing. The New York prison worker accused of smuggling hacksaw blades in frozen hamburger meat to two killers who later broke out and spent more than two weeks on the run will face charges in court and will be arraigned on Tuesday, July 28, 2015. (G.N. Miller/New York Post via AP, Pool, File)

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- A New York prison employee has pleaded guilty to helping two killers escape last month.

Joyce Mitchell, a tailor shop instructor at Clinton Correctional Facility, was jailed shortly after Richard Matt and David Sweat escaped on June 6. Matt was shot and killed three weeks later. Sweat was captured and sent to another prison.

Mitchell admitted providing hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch tool and a screwdriver to Matt. Authorities say she agreed to be their getaway driver but backed out at the last moment.

Mitchell was in court Tuesday morning and pleaded guilty to first-degree promoting prison contraband and fourth-degree criminal facilitation.

The 51-year-old faces a sentence ranging from 2 1/3 years to 7 years in prison.

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