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Pennsylvania puts all prisons on lockdown after reports of staff sickened by unknown substance Pennsylvania puts all prisons on lockdown after reports of staff sickened by unknown substance
(35 minutes later)
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has puts its facilities on lockdown after reports multiple staff members were sickened by unknown substances . This comes after a similar emergency in an Ohio prison. Prisons in Pennsylvania have been put on lockdown after "too many" officers were sickened by unknown substance that was brought in illegally. This comes after opioid related emergency in Ohio and amid nationwide prison strike.
"The safety and security of our employees is my number one concern,” John Wetzel, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary, said as he announced the lockdown. “Our state prisons, especially, those in the western part of the state, have experienced recent incidents in which employees have been sickened and we need to get to the bottom of this issue now,” John Wetzel, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary, said as he announced the lockdown.
“Our state prisons, especially, those in the western part of the state, have experienced recent incidents in which employees have been sickened and we need to get to the bottom of this issue now.” 
Effective immediately, all of the state’s 24 prisons are locked down, all visits have been suspended, mailrooms indefinitely closed to non-legal mail, and staff have been instructed to don protective clothing and equipment, the department said on Wednesday.
The officers in Pennsylvania prisons became sick “due to contraband being illegally brought into these facilities,” Jason Bloom, president of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association, said in a statement. “We’re prepared to help our members who have been sickened — but we must put this dangerous problem to an end.”
The Department of Correction said earlier that 18 staff members at three instructions in western Pennsylvania have been affected by unknown substance since the beginning of August.The Department of Correction said earlier that 18 staff members at three instructions in western Pennsylvania have been affected by unknown substance since the beginning of August.
"Simply too many of our officers are becoming sick due to contraband being illegally brought into these facilities," Jason Bloom, president of the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association, said in a statement. “We’re prepared to help our members who have been sickened — but we must put this dangerous problem to an end.”
The lockdown means that all visits have been suspended, mailrooms indefinitely closed to non-legal mail, and staff have been instructed to don protective clothing and equipment.
Earlier on Wednesday, 24 people were treated by doctors from overdose symptoms at a prison in Ohio. Five nurses, 15 correctional officers, an inmate and several others at the Ross Correctional Institution felt sick after exposure to a substance, believed to be some kind of opiate. Those affected were given a special medication, used to quickly reverse opioid overdoses, called naloxone.Earlier on Wednesday, 24 people were treated by doctors from overdose symptoms at a prison in Ohio. Five nurses, 15 correctional officers, an inmate and several others at the Ross Correctional Institution felt sick after exposure to a substance, believed to be some kind of opiate. Those affected were given a special medication, used to quickly reverse opioid overdoses, called naloxone.
The reports came against the background of a massive, nation-wide prison strike, with inmates across 17 US states protesting inhumane conditions and prison labor, which they describe as “modern day slavery.”The reports came against the background of a massive, nation-wide prison strike, with inmates across 17 US states protesting inhumane conditions and prison labor, which they describe as “modern day slavery.”
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