Inmates, staff at downstate Illinois prison treated for exposure to unknown substance
HILLSBORO, Ill. - Several inmates and staff at a downstate Illinois prison were being treated Wednesday night after exposure to an unknown substance.
According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, staff members at Graham Correctional Center responded to a medical incident involving inmates who appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance.
Multiple staff members were exposed to the unknown substance when responding and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The affected inmates were receiving treatment at the prison's healthcare unit, IDOC said.
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Additional staff members who may have been exposed to the unknown substance were also taken to the hospital as a precaution.
IDOC says all staff members were stable and many were already discharged from the hospital Wednesday night.
The Illinois State Police Hazmat Team were at the prison investigating.
"The safety of individuals in custody and department staff remains our top priority," IDOC said in a statement.
No further information was available.
The correctional facility is located in Hillsboro, Illinois – which is about an hour north of St. Louis.