Minnesota prison workers hospitalized after exposure to unknown substances

Nine workers astatine a Minnesota situation were hospitalized Thursday aft they became sick pursuing vulnerability to chartless substances.

The incidental astatine Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater, the state’s largest prison, occurred astir 7:45 a.m. erstwhile a defender recovered an inmate smoking successful his cell, the Minnesota Department of Corrections said.

“The unit subordinate experienced an adverse absorption that included lightheadedness, nausea, and an accrued bosom rate. He was taken by ambulance to Lakeview Hospital,” the DOC said.

Several different staffers became sick erstwhile a 2nd inmate “threw a instrumentality with an chartless substance from his compartment that landed” adjacent workers, starring to much illnesses.

Ten workers were exposed, with 9 treated astatine the infirmary earlier being released. One was fixed a dose of Narcan. The substances are inactive being tested.

The situation was enactment connected lockdown and volition apt stay connected lockdown done Saturday morning, DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said.

“We are prioritizing our investigative efforts to place and prosecute those liable for conspiring to present these substances into the unafraid correctional environment,” Schnell said.

Schnell said a fig of imaginable overdose deaths person occurred successful Minnesota prisons this year, but they are inactive nether investigation.

The installation is successful Bayport, astir 27 miles eastbound of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.