Iowa prison searched after repeated use of overdose antidote

ANAMOSA, IA (AP) — Authorities are searching for contraband at an Iowa prison after several sickened inmates and workers were treated over the weekend with the life-saving overdose antidote Narcan.

KCCI-TV reports that inmates at the Anamosa State Penitentiary aren’t allowed to have visits and their movements are restricted amid the narcotics investigation.

The investigation comes after two unrelated incidents over the weekend. The Iowa Department of Corrections said in a news release that the first happened Saturday when an inmate was found unresponsive in his cell and was rushed to a hospital.

Exposed to an unknown substance, the inmate was given Narcan, along with two of the staff members who responded. A third staff member also showed signs of illness but wasn’t treated with the anti-overdose medication. The inmate and the sickened workers have since been released from the hospital.

Then on Sunday, two other inmates were treated with Narcan after they were found unresponsive in their cells, corrections officials said. They didn’t require hospitalization or test positive for illegal substances. And corrections officials said that the staff who treated them didn’t show signs of illness.