Nine workers at a Minnesota prison were hospitalized Thursday after they became ill following exposure to unknown substances.
The incident at Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater, the state’s largest prison, occurred around 7:45 a.m. when a guard found an inmate smoking in his cell, the Minnesota Department of Corrections said.
“The staff member experienced an adverse reaction that included lightheadedness, nausea, and an increased heart rate. He was taken by ambulance to Lakeview Hospital,” the DOC said.
Several other staffers became ill when a second inmate “threw a container with an unknown substance from his cell that landed” near workers, leading to more illnesses.
Ten workers were exposed, with nine treated at the hospital before being released. One was given a dose of Narcan. The substances are still being tested.
The prison was put on lockdown and will likely remain on lockdown through Saturday morning, DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell said.
“We are prioritizing our investigative efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible for conspiring to introduce these substances into the secure correctional environment,” Schnell said.
Schnell said a number of possible overdose deaths have occurred in Minnesota prisons this year, but they are still under investigation.
The facility is in Bayport, about 27 miles east of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
