Prison chief, 11 others put on leave after escapes

ALBANY, N.Y. — The superintendent at the prison where two killers broke out has been placed on leave along with his security chief and 10 other staff members amid an internal investigation into how the inmates pulled off the daring escape, a state official said Tuesday.

The 12-member group is in addition to the guard and the prison tailor shop instructor who have been arrested on charges they helped the escapees.

A state official who was briefed on the matter said Steven Racette, the $132,000-a-year superintendent of the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, was removed along with Stephen Brown, deputy superintendent in charge of security.

The Corrections Department said only that three executives and nine other staff members were placed on leave as part of a review of the June 6 escape.

Matt and Sweat cut holes in their cells and a steam pipe and made their way under the walls of the maximum-security prison to a manhole outside in a breakout that embarrassed the Corrections Department, exposed a host of possible security lapses and set off a manhunt involving more than 1,000 law enforcement officers.