ANAMOSA, Iowa — An Iowa penitentiary is limiting the movement of inmates and not allowing visitors while staff conducts a "large scale" search in the prison for illicit contraband, the Department of Corrections announced Monday evening.
The Anamosa State Penitentiary is now under "restricted movement" after two inmates were found unresponsive in their cells Sunday, March 19, just a day after another inmate and three staffers were exposed to the unknown substance.
The inmate from Saturday's incident was taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment after receiving Narcan. No obvious substances were found in the cell, however, the inmate did appear to be under the influence of an unknown substance. They were treated and sent back to the institution.
The staffers exposed while responding to the inmate's medical emergency were also taken to a nearby hospital for observation. Two of them were treated with Narcan. Each of them was released once their condition stabilized.
The inmates treated on Sunday tested negative for illegal substances. The DOC has determined that the cases from Sunday are not related to the original incident from Saturday.
The DOC is still investigating these incidents with assistance from the Iowa Department of Public Safety's Narcotics Division.
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