USA: 1 dead and 11 treated for overdoses at Northern California prison

Suspected drug overdoses at a Northern California prison over the weekend left one inmate dead and sent 11 others for treatment, authorities said Monday.

An inmate was found unresponsive in his cell Sunday at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, about 30 miles southeast of Sacramento, but despite lifesaving efforts he was pronounced dead later that evening, according to a statement from the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Another inmate was treated at the prison and 10 others were taken to hospitals, although eight have since returned to the lockup.

Authorities didn’t say what drug they suspect caused the overdoses. But the cells where the overdoses occurred have been sealed and are being cleaned by a hazardous materials team.

Authorities are trying to determine how the drugs were smuggled into the prison. Prison officials are limiting the movements of inmates, and medical and prison staff members are conducting wellness checks throughout the facility every 30 minutes, according to the statement.

In 2014, prison officials began a program to combat pervasive drug smuggling that gave California an overdose fatality rate three times the national average. The number of overdose deaths peaked at 24 in 2013 and has since fallen to 19 per year among the state’s prison population of about 130,000.

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