Husband of Female Prison Worker Joyce Mitchell Stands by Her, But Can't Afford Bail
Lyle Mitchell has expressed his support for his wife Joyce.
— -- The female prison employee who allegedly helped two convicts escape from a maximum-security facility in upstate New York won't be leaving jail soon since her husband's lawyer says that they don't have enough money to bail her out though they plan to remain a couple.
Joyce Mitchell's husband Lyle, whom investigators said they believe Joyce plotted to have killed by the convicts, appears to be supporting his wife while she is behind bars.
"Lyle never said exactly 'I plan on staying with Joyce' but over a period of time with Lyle talking and visiting Joyce in jail, he doesn't plan on a divorce," Peter Dumas, the attorney for Lyle Mitchell, told ABC News today.
"Lyle calls Joyce everyday and he is visiting her today and plans to visit her this weekend. It's pretty clear by his actions right now he plans to stay with her," Dumas said.
"He doesn't have plans to get Joyce out of jail. He doesn't have the money," he said.
The court has set Mitchell's bail at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond for the felony and $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond for the misdemeanor.
Her legal process is impacting Lyle Mitchell's daily routine as well as he has not gone back to work yet in order to be available for investigators and her lawyers, Dumas said.
"He's anxious -- he's not the kind of guy that sits around. The whole process is maddening for him," Dumas said.
Joyce Mitchell, 51, is charged with a felony count of promoting prison contraband and a misdemeanor count of criminal facilitation for allegedly helping David Sweat and Richard Matt escape from the maximum-security facility on June 6. She has entered a not guilty plea.
After a wide-ranging manhunt, Matt was fatally shot by authorities on June 26 and Sweat was captured two days later. Sweat was shot and treated for his injuries but he has since been transferred from a hospital to the infirmary at another correctional facility, authorities said.
District Attorney Andrew Wylie told ABC News that Sweat has been speaking extensively to investigators, revealing information about how they were able to practice their escape and their connections to Joyce Mitchell, who worked in the prison's tailor shop.
Mitchell's alleged sexual relations with inmates has been part of the investigation, according to authorities.
Wylie has said that Sweat claims that he never had sex with Mitchell in the tailor shop. Investigators announced during the search that they were looking into the possibility that Mitchell had sex with inmates including Sweat.
"I'm not confirming that that never happened. I'm not confirming that his statements are true or Joyce Mitchell's statements are true. I'm just stating what I know," Wylie told ABC News on June 30, two days after Sweat's capture.
Joyce Mitchell's lawyer has previously said that his client denied having sex with Sweat.
"On her behalf all I can say is that she has consistently denied having any sexual relationship with inmate Sweat," her attorney Stephen Johnston said on June 24 in a statement to ABC News.
Wylie did confirm that Mitchell has told investigators that she was having sex with Matt before their escape.
ABC News' Linzie Janis and Doug Lantz contributed to this report.
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