--- description: One of the inmates established a relationship with Joyce Mitchell title: New York Prison Break: Prison Worker Planned to Drive for Escapees image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt725332ec54a95db6/69885360f887dc2e24e90cfd/escaped-prisoners-new-york-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1440&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # New York Prison Worker Was Charmed Into Acting as Getaway Driver by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 11, 2015 2:04 PM CUT  Convicted murderers David Sweat (L) and Richard Matt are shown in this composite image. Convicted murderers David Sweat (L) and Richard Matt are shown in this composite image.New York State Police/Getty Images by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 11, 2015 2:04 PM CUT Joyce Mitchell, the New York prison worker being questioned in the escape of two murderers, was charmed by one of the inmates and planned to be their getaway driver until she got cold feet, senior government officials told NBC News. One of the inmates, Richard Matt, established a relationship with Mitchell over a couple of months, the officials said. “She thought it was love,” one of the officials said. Instead of being the getaway driver, Mitchell went to the hospital and checked herself in, the officials said. As [NBC News has previously reported](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/new-york-prison-escape/son-prison-worker-questioned-escape-says-mom-would-not-assist-n372416 "undefined"), Mitchell checked in on Saturday, the day… [Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/new-york-prison-escape/she-thought-it-was-love-officials-say-prison-worker-joyce-n373571?cid=par-time-article%5F20150611 "undefined") ### See the Path 2 Killers Took to Escape From a Maximum Security Prison  Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the Clinton Correctional Facility, where two inmates escaped on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  A man-made hole in the wall of the escaped inmates' cell at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  The industrial area where inmates escaped to from a hole in their cell at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Governor Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Governor Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Gov. Andrew Cuomo tours the escape route taken by two prisoners at the Clinton Correctional Facility on Saturday, in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York  Gov. Andrew Cuomo surveys the manhole where two prisoners resurfaced after escaping from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y. on June 6, 2015. Darren McGee—Office of the Governor of New York ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3917563/prison-worker-planned-driver/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3917563/prison-worker-planned-driver/"},"headline":"New York Prison Worker Was Charmed Into Acting as Getaway Driver","datePublished":"2015-06-11T14:04:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:03:06.092Z","description":"But Joyce Mitchell got cold feet","url":"https://time.com/3917563/prison-worker-planned-driver/","keywords":["Crime","New York"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt725332ec54a95db6/69885360f887dc2e24e90cfd/escaped-prisoners-new-york-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt725332ec54a95db6/69885360f887dc2e24e90cfd/escaped-prisoners-new-york-2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"David Sweat Richard Matt Murderer Escaped Prison New York","caption":"David Sweat Richard Matt Murderer Escaped Prison New York","creditText":"New York State Police/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3917563/prison-worker-planned-driver/","name":"New York Prison Worker Was Charmed Into Acting as Getaway Driver"}}]}] ```