PITTSBURGH — The secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said it’s unclear how long the state prison system will remain on lockdown.
Secretary John Wetzel told Channel 11 the move was made to protect staff and the inmates after a substance delivered through the mail caused 29 people to get sick, many of them hospitalized.
RELATED STORY: All state prisons in Pennsylvania on lockdown after unknown substance exposures
"I'm sure we'll modify and start getting a little different out of cell time," Wetzel said. "But certainly visits and mail will be the last things that come online before we get up and running."
Testing on the substance continues, but it’s believed to be a form of synthetic cannabinoid, which is often colorless and odorless. That puts guards in danger when they're searching for contraband without even knowing it.
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Exposure can cause rashes, dizziness and in the most severe cases, an overdose. Members of the Department of Corrections were at the Allegheny County Jail earlier this summer helping with a synthetic drug situation.
Wetzel was in Lawrenceville Thursday to talk about reentry programs but knew what was on many people's minds.
"One of the elephants in the room is we just locked down the entire prison system yesterday," Wetzel said. "The formula for synthetic cananbonoids changes constantly, so detecting it has been very complicated."
HAPPENING NOW: PA Dept of Corrections Sec. John Wetzel is at the Goodwill facility in Lawrenceville highlighting the National Reentry Initiative. PA is one of 4 states working w/ Safe Streets and Second Chances. #WPXI pic.twitter.com/4769l9I6D5
— Aaron Martin (@WPXIAaronMartin) August 30, 2018
Wetzel said the lockdown was necessary and will continue until the entire state prison system can be properly trained and prepared.
"Every prison by next Friday will have its own hazmat team," he said. "Frankly, some of the issues have been members of the community; first responders have been exposed, too."
While the lockdown only applies to state prisons, it's also impacting local jails as well.
"Some counties don't want to accept inmates coming from us for court. If I was a county, I wouldn't accept any inmates from us either," Wetzel said.
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