Stillwater prison lockdown: 9 staff members hospitalized for exposure to substance
STILLWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater went into a lockdown after nine staff members were hospitalized for being exposed to an "unknown substance," according to officials.
What we know
Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell spoke to reporters during a news conference early Thursday evening, during which he shared details on the incident.
Officials say a prison staff member responded to a report of a male inmate smoking in his cell just before 7:45 a.m. Thursday.
That staff member then had "an adverse reaction that included lightheadness, nausea, and an increased heart rate" according to the DOC. That staff member was then taken to Lakeview Hospital by ambulance.
Three other staff members then reported similar symptoms and were also taken to the hospital. After that, three more staff members who responded to the initial incident reported feeling ill. Two of them went to the hospital.
During the news conference, commissioner Schnell said that in a separate incident that happened in the same housing unit, an inmate threw a milk carton that had an unknown substance in it from his cell. That milk carton landed near the staff, and three more staff experienced illness and went to the hospital.
A total of nine staff members at the prison were taken to the hospital for evaluation. Only one was not taken by paramedics. One of those staff was also given Narcan after experiencing symptoms.
All staff have been treated and released as of Thursday afternoon.
However, a spokesperson told FOX 9 on Friday morning the prison would remain on lockdown through Friday.
What was the substance?
The DOC said the incident is being investigated by its Office of Special Investigations, which is working to find out what the substance was and how it got into the prison.
The inmate who was first caught smoking reportedly said to investigators he smoked a "stronger than expected dose of synthetic K-2."
The substance is still being tested, but officials say they have identified the presence of MDMB-4en-PINACA, which was soaked into paper and dried.
Commissioner Schnell speculated that the milk carton that landed near staff could have had the soaked paper inside.
The DOC said "PINACA is an indazole-based synthetic cannabinoid" that can be purchased online and "introduced into the facility through the mail."
DOC monitoring mail for controlled substances
Officials say they are mitigating the issue by scanning mail through a machine detection process and are initiating a pilot project where almost all mail is photocopied.
Commissioner Schnell admitted the new machines are "not foolproof" and that the "massive amount of mail" arriving at prisons can take weeks to process.
Contraband can also be smuggled in through books and magazines.
Investigators say they are focusing on inmates who are working with people outside the prison to get controlled substances into the prison.
"These synthetic substances are particularly dangerous because the chemical properties that comprise them are unknown and uncontrolled," Schnell said in a statement. "We are prioritizing our investigative efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible for conspiring to introduce these substances into the secure correctional environment. For the safety of our staff, we are reviewing and updating our emergency response protocols to suspected drug-use incidents."
Background
Another inmate died earlier this year in an overdose death that investigators say could be related to synthetic drug use.
READ MORE: Stillwater prison inmate death could be related to synthetic drug use
The 22-year-old man was found unresponsive in his cell and was pronounced dead shortly after.
The DOC said that they were investigating the possibility of the man's death being related to synthetic drug use due to "indicators" found in his cell.
Officials at the time also referenced the challenges of synthetic substances entering the prison through the mail.