David Sweat was the only one of the two escaped prisoners to survive in Escape at Dannemora– but what happened to the real person after he was captured and brought back to prison? The Showtime miniseries was initially released in 2018, though its arrival on Netflix has put this story back in the spotlight. Escape at Dannemora is based on the real-life 2015 prison break in which two inmates, Richard Matt and Matthew Sweat, seduced a married prison employee to enlist her help in the first U.S. prison break in decades.
Escape at Dannemora was praised for its accuracy, and many of the details surrounding Matt and Sweat's escape are portrayed in the series as they are believed to have happened in real life. Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell slipped tools into the Clinton Correctional Center, hiding them inside frozen ground beef, and the pair of inmates used them to cut holes in the walls of their cells to gain access to a utility area beneath the prison. After months of planning and navigation, Sweat and Matt finally escaped on June 6, 2015. Escape at Dannemora explored the before, during and after - but what is the true story of David Sweat's capture and punishment?
David Sweat was captured on June 28, 2015
David Sweat was captured three weeks after his escape
David Sweat and Richard Matt (played by Paul Dano and Benicio del Toro, respectively, in Escape at Dannemora) were officially found absent on the morning of June 6, 2015. Although they intended to be picked up by Tilly Mitchell (Patricia Arquette), the prison employee failed to show up. So the fugitives set out on foot through the forests of Dannemora with the intention of heading towards the Canadian border. A multi-million dollar manhunt ensued and there was little sign of Sweat and Matt for three weeks. However, on June 26, 2015, Richard Matt was found, shot and killed.
As David Sweat was no longer with Richard Matt, it was momentarily believed that the former might have already been killed. However, two days later, on June 28, 2015, Sweat was spotted by a state trooper, Sergeant Jay Cook, walking along a road in Constable, New York—just a few kilometers from the Canadian border (via ABC News). Cook tried to start a conversation with Sweat, but the inmate just said he was "good" and continued walking. When Cook continued to pursue him, Sweat paused toward the tree line. Cook gave several warnings, but finally shot and subdued Sweat before he could disappear into the trees.
David Sweat was transferred to a maximum security prison after being in the hospital
David Sweat is even less free than he was before
Sweat survived his gunshot wounds, although he was taken to a hospital in Albany in critical condition. Your condition has been updated to "fair"a few days later, the police were released to interrogate the escaped prisoner, who explained to have left Richard Matt behind due to his slow movement and drunken recklessness. This was also when the final pieces of the puzzle about the escape from the Clinton Correctional Center came together, when Sweat cooperated with the police, telling them his and Matt's complete plan and method.
After Sweat fully recovered, he was transferred to Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York. He was placed in solitary confinement with 24-hour video surveillance.— a far cry from his “honor block” situation at Clinton Correctional. This is where Sweat has remained since his brief period of freedom following his Shawshankstyle escape in 2015.
David Sweat's Punishment for Escape From Clinton Correctional Center Explained
David Sweat essentially continued his life sentence
In October 2019, Sweat pleaded guilty to escape and was sentenced to an additional seven years in his maximum security prison. This may not seem like much, but it's important to remember that Sweat was already serving a life sentence for first-degree murder when he and Matt broke free. The prisoner has no possibility of parole, so the additional sentence is more symbolic than anything. Sweat's true punishment, ultimately, is the solitary confinement in which he must live for the rest of his life.
Sweat's true punishment, ultimately, is the solitary confinement in which he must live for the rest of his life.
Living under 24-hour video surveillance ensures that Sweat will never again have the opportunity to escape like he did in 2015. Furthermore, the inmate will no longer be able to create the friendships and relationships that made his escape possible. Ultimately, Sweat is even less free today than he was when he made a desperate bid for freedom. Escape at Dannemora may detail the real man's efforts and near-success, but his story and punishment go far beyond anything we'll see on screen.
Source: ABC News