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New safety, security measures for state prisons after workers sickened

WAYNESBURG, Pa. — All Pennsylvania state prisons remain on lockdown after employees from several facilities became sickened by an unknown substance.

RELATED STORY: All state prisons in Pennsylvania on lockdown after unknown substance exposures

The Department of Corrections officials said the move was to protect staff and inmates after a substance delivered through the mail caused at least 29 people to get sick.

Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel outlined new security procedures at all state prisons during a news conference Wednesday.

RELATED STORY:No timeline for how long state prison system will remain on lockdown

Mail will no longer be processed at state prisons. All mail will be sent to a separate address, where it will be checked and scanned six days a week. Inmates should receive mail the following day. All mail sent to correctional facilities will be returned to sender.

Each prison will be provided with drone detection technology to prevent drones from dropping contraband into prisons.

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Within the next 90 days, all prisons will be equipped with a body scanner that will randomly scan people and inmates.  Currently, all prisons have ion scanners, but each facility will receive two news scanners to help detect drugs, officials said.

Each visit room will see an increase in staff, officials said. Visitors caught bringing drugs into the prison, he or she will be banned for life from state prisons.

The Department of Corrections will be transitioning from paper books to e-books and magazines.  A resource account will be created for inmates to purchase books.

A drug hotline has been created for people to report drugs anonymously. Family or inmates who want to speak with an investigator should call 717-728-4743.

 

Cox Media Group

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