Westchester County responds to apparent drug overdoses in jail

VALHALLA, N.Y. (WABC) -- Thirteen people have overdosed in the Westchester County jail in the past several days, leading to several arrests and causing the facility to go into lockdown.

Police on Tuesday said six inmates were arrested; 2 already have been charged with promoting prison contraband. Westchester County police said Deron Strange, who was in jail on an assault charge, had the remains of a hand-rolled cigarette. They say James Graziano, being held on a parole violation, had a plastic bottle that was altered into a pipe.

The inmates reportedly were sickened between July 12 and 20.

The jail went into lockdown Monday night until 5 a.m. Tuesday. The old wing of the jail was searched with drug sniffing dogs.

The exact substance is still being tested, but it is believed to be synthetic marijuana. All inmates were treated and released from the hospital the same day.

"When we were all in the holding cells waiting to go court, that's all that everyone was talking about," said one man named Mike, who had just been released from Westchester County Jail.

But while inside, he knew something was wrong. Over the last nine days, a total of 13 inmates have been hospitalized after overdosing on synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2, Spice, or Spike.

"They locked down the new jail, they took everyone out of the old jail, and they were searching everybody for everything," Mike said.

Indeed, part of the complex was locked down for a top to bottom search of the section referred to as the 'old' jail. It's there that three men overdosed on July 12th, six on July 19th, and four more Monday.

The inmates became aggressive then combative, some began vomiting.

"After these initial symptoms, many began to hallucinate or appeared to be in a catatonic state," said Justin Pruyne of the Westchester County Department of Correction.

Six inmates have been charged with promoting prison contraband. Officials are trying to determine how the drugs entered the jail.

"Our goal is zero tolerance, because these kinds of incidents put everyone at risk," said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

The drugs may have been smuggled in during what are called contact visits, which are permitted for some inmates under state guidelines.

"At the beginning and end of that visit with a family member or a loved one he's allowed to embrace, a brief kiss, pick up a baby, things of that nature," said Pruyne. "So that's certainly an avenue we are exploring in this case in all drug interdiction cases."

News of the overdoses was not much of a shock for those inside.

"Anything can happen in jail, I'm just glad to be leaving," one inmate said.

All the inmates are out of the hospital. Meantime, officials say every building of the jail will be searched, and all policies reviewed.