Eleven staff members at Auburn Correctional Facility were treated at a hospital after separate exposures to unknown substances over a three-day period last week.
The first incident occurred Aug. 3 when two officers conducting a cell frisk encountered inmate mail that felt damp. Both became lightheaded, with headaches and chills, and were transported to the hospital after initial treatment by prison medical staff. Officials have not determined what substance was on the mail.
On Aug. 5, a second incident began when an officer detected a chemical burning smell in a cell block. Another staff member reported a similar odor, and a third officer was exposed to smoke blown into his face by an inmate. That officer later experienced dizziness, nausea, and elevated blood pressure and was taken to Auburn Hospital.
A sergeant, three officers, and a civilian staff member in the area also became ill and were hospitalized. Investigators reviewing surveillance video found inmates exchanging unknown substances before the exposures. Firefighters tested for chemicals, but results were inconclusive.
The final incident occurred Aug. 6 when two inmates were found vomiting in their cells. While escorting them to the infirmary, a sergeant and officer became sick and were transported to the hospital. A search of one inmate’s cell yielded three sheets of paper soaked in an unknown liquid and two pills later identified as anti-anxiety medication. A third officer who entered the cell also became ill and was hospitalized.
Western Region Vice President Kenny Gold of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association said the incidents highlight ongoing safety concerns and the lack of chemical identification in such exposures.
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