4 prisoners hospitalized after taking illegal drugs: DOC

Goodyear inmates found seizing may have ingested something, fire officials say

Four prison inmates were rushed to a West Valley hospital after ingesting an unknown substance that caused seizures. FOX 10's Megan Spector reports.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Four female inmates were hospitalized Sunday morning after they suffered seizures while in prison, according to the Goodyear Fire Department.

What we know:

On the morning of Nov. 16, Goodyear Fire and other agencies responded to Perryville Prison for multiple prisoners seizing.

Four female prisoners were rushed to a hospital after taking illegal drugs, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry said. Another prisoner also tested positive for drugs.

What they're saying:

Female inmates hospitalized after taking illegal drugs: MCSO

Four female prison inmates were rushed to a West Valley hospital after ingesting illegal drugs, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry said. The inmates reportedly suffered seizures. FOX 10's Megan Spector reports.

In a statement to FOX 10, the department of corrections said the incident stemmed from "drug-soaked paper" that was brought into the prison from mail and visitors.

"This morning, 11/16, at ASPC-Perryville’s San Carlos Unit, 4 incarcerated women were transported offsite by local EMS for medical evaluation and treatment after exhibiting "seizure-like" symptoms. Initial information indicates that their medical symptoms were the result of illicit drug use. The 4 women have since been medically cleared and have returned to ASPC-Perryville.

As a precaution and per standard policy, additional inmates in the Unit were evaluated and, when appropriate, given drug tests. One additional incarcerated woman tested positive for illicit substances, and received necessary treatment and care.

The San Carlos Unit will remain under an operational curtailment until the situation is fully investigated and it can safely be returned to normal operations.

Unfortunately, much like prisons across the country, ADCRR continues to experience the negative consequences of drug-soaked paper being trafficked into prison units from outside sources via the U.S. mail and visitation, putting the lives of staff and the incarcerated population at risk. The dangerous substances can lead to significant risks when exposure or ingestion occurs. To combat these threats within Arizona’s prisons, ADCRR has been working on a plan to modernize and digitize general inmate mail that will be rolled out in the coming weeks, in addition to other interdiction and enforcement strategies."

Big picture view:

Last February, 14 female inmates overdosed from illegal drugs in a week inside Estrella Jail, prompting closer searches, including body scanners.

"This does not replace good old fashion police detention work," Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Mike Dawson said. "This doesn't replace the pat search we are trained to do in the academy. This is just the first step."

Donna Hamm, the founder of Middle Ground Prison Reform, a non-profit organization that works to protect the rights of the incarcerated in Arizona, said she wants Arizona’s Department of Corrections to turn its attention to inside the prison.

"They have to also do a thorough job of searching their staff members who, remember, go into the prison seven days a week, 24 hours a day on three shifts," she said. "It's very easy to initially think that if drugs got into the prison that came in through visitation that or through the mail. They have to do searches that are equally intrusive of the staff as well as the visitors and inmates."

What's next:

The inmates have been released from the hospital and have returned to the prison. Operations will start again for that unit once the situation is fully investigated.