A female worker from New York's Clinton Correctional Facility being questioned by law-enforcement officials was the subject of a prior investigation regarding an alleged relationship with one of the inmates who escaped from the prison last weekend, reports the Wall Street Journal. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision conducted the investigation within the past year after allegations that inmate David Sweat had a relationship with Joyce Mitchell, a civilian employee who worked in a tailoring shop in the prison. The report found there wasn't enough evidence to take any action against Mitchell. Sweat was pulled out of the tailoring shop and was reassigned to another shop with a different supervisor.
Joseph D'Amico, superintendent of New York State Police, said that a female worker “was befriended or she befriended the inmates and may have had some sort of role in assisting them.” Sweat, 34, was serving a life sentence for murdering a sheriff's deputy in 2002. Richard Matt, 48, had been serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the 1997 murder of his former boss. They escaped last Friday night or Saturday morning. Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie told CNN that Mitchell “provided some form of equipment or tools” to Matt and Sweat. CNN identified the equipment as hacksaw blades, drill bits, and eyeglasses with lights affixed.