Two separate incidents inside New York correctional facilities injured many guards, including one in intensive care, exposing persistent safety issues for prison staff, according to union officials.
Three jail officers and two National Guardsmen were hospitalized after being exposed to an unknown drug contained inside an envelope brought in by a visitor to Rome’s Mohawk Correctional Facility.
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Authorities stated that the exposure occurred when staff processed the guest in the facility lobby. When the packet was opened, the chemical, which was thought to be soaked into the papers, caused acute symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, difficulty breathing, and nausea. One female cop was drugged, intubated, and admitted to intensive care, while the others were treated and eventually released. The visitor was brought into custody and charged with promoting prison contraband, and the substance is still being investigated.
In a separate incident at Coxsackie Correctional Facility, a convicted killer serving a 15-year to life sentence assaulted a female officer in the meal hall with a broken pen.
Officials said the inmate approached the officer from behind and began stabbing her in the face before punching her to the ground. A responding officer attempting to intercede was also assaulted, resulting in a broken nose and concussion. Additional officers were needed to control the convict, who continued to struggle while being held and escorted to a medical area.
The injured female officer sustained facial lacerations, while the responding officer was injured many times, including a fractured finger and head damage. Several additional employees sustained minor injuries during the response but stayed on the job following treatment.
Union officials cited both occurrences as indicative of the increasingly unsafe conditions inside correctional facilities, noting changing contraband methods and violent inmate conduct as significant threats to workers.
