Is Netflix’s Escape at Dannemora based on a true story? Explained

Escape at Dannemora is a crime drama that originally premiered on Showtime on November 18, 2018, and is now available to stream on Netflix. The series tells the story of a prison break that was pulled off by two convicted murderers with the assistance of a female prison employee.

The events of Escape at Dannemora are based on the real-life prison break at the Clinton Correctional Facility that occurred in 2015.

However, some of the details shown in the series have been disputed by one of the individuals involved in the escape. In an interview with the New York Post published on December 22, 2018, Joyce Mitchell accused Escape at Dannemora of mischaracterizing her. Specifically, she denied being in a romantic relationship with the escapees, unlike what the series portrayed.

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Escape at Dannemora is a dramatization of a real-life prison break

This real-life prison escape occurred on June 6, 2015, when Richart Matt and David Sweat, both convicted murderers, were seen absent from their cells during a 5:17 am bed check.

It later turned out that the two had used a hacksaw and drill bits to cut their way out of their cell walls, following which they cut a hole in a steam pipe and used it to escape into the city sewers.

They absconded from the authorities for three weeks, following which Richard Matt was killed in a shootout with police forces at Malone, New York. Two days later, David Sweat was also shot by the authorities but ultimately captured alive.

The escapees received assistance from two prison employees during their escape. One of them was Joyce Mitchell, who was portrayed by Patricia Arquette in the series. The other prison employee charged with aiding the escapees was Gene Palmer, who admitted to smuggling the tools the convicts used in exchange for Richard Matt's paintings.

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Joyce Mitchell spoke to the New York Post about Escape at Dannemora

The conversation with the publication took place over the course of two 45-minute sessions at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, where she was imprisoned. Joyce was sharply critical of director Ben Stiller for what she claimed were inaccuracies in the series's portrayal of her character.

She was particularly offended by the series portraying her as romantically involved with the convicts, saying:

“I never had s*x with them. Ben Stiller is a son-of-a-b*tch liar just like the rest of the world. He doesn’t care about the truth. All he cares about is making millions off me. He’s an idiot.”

Joyce admitted to supplying the hacksaw blades and drill bits to Richart Matt and David Sweat, but she alleged that she acted out of fear, not romantic inclinations. However, she did admit to sending explicit photos of herself to David Sweat and claimed to have given Matt oral s*x, allegedly under duress.

She had also told investigators that she helped the inmates escape out of a misguided fantasy she had of starting a new life with them, something she now disavows.

None of the cast or creatives visited Joyce in prison, with the latter claiming that this is because the truth doesn't sell.

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Viewers can watch the story of Escape at Dannemora on Netflix.