IL Prison Employees Sickened By Exposure To Inmates, Unknown Substance

HILLSBORO, IL — A total of 18 employees of a downstate Illinois prison required treatment at local hospitals after prison officials said that they came down with an unknown illness after being exposed to inmates who may have been under the influence of a controlled substance.

The Illinois Department of Corrections said employees at the John A. Graham Correctional Facility in Hillsboro were rushed to local hospitals after an employee responded to a “medical incident” involving inmates who “appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance,” a spokesperson said.

Although a St. Louis station reported that the illness outbreak was caused after responding to a “mass overdose” among inmates, state police have found that the "unknown substance" did not test positive for narcotics.

Department of Corrections spokesperson Naomi Puzzello told Patch on Thursday that a state police investigation determined that tests on suspicious substances found on site came back negative for narcotics or hazardous materials.

The state police is conducting additional testing on clothing items on Thursday as well, she said.

The substances were identified as nonhazardous and should not have necessitated the use of Narcan or required hospitalization. Puzzello said the the Department of Corrections works works diligently to ensure the safety of both incarcerated individuals and employees and worked swiftly to ensure everyone had access to the care they requested.

"Although no one in custody required hospitalization, some staff reported feeling dizzy and in an abundance of caution were transported to the hospital for observation and treatment. Everyone involved in this incident has been discharged from the hospital," she said.

According to the state police, the substances returned the following results: Nasal spray was Acetaminophen/Paracetamol and a powder found was baby powder – Aluminum Phosphate, Ethylpyrrole, and Benzene, according to Puzzello.

Anders Lindall of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, an employee union, told the Associated Press that some prison employees became violently ill after coming near the affected inmates.

. Lindall did not immediately respond to a message from Patch seeking further information about what substance could have caused the situation or about the differing reports in the symptoms that prison employees experienced after coming into contact with the inmates.

John Graham Correctional Facility is a medium-security prison that currently houses 1,328 inmates, according to the Department of Corrections.

The Associated Press contributed to this report