Two women overdosed in the La Plat County Jail on Sunday morning after taking what jail staff suspect was fentanyl that had been smuggled into the facility.
Both inmates were both given Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and were taken to Mercy Hospital.
One was immediately released back to the jail and another was released later that afternoon, according to a news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office after The Durango Herald inquired about the matter.
Around 7:30 a.m., deputies were alerted by an inmate using the intercom that someone in the female housing pod was in distress. They responded and discovered one of the two women had an oxygen saturation level around 80% (anything under 90% is considered a serious medical problem), said Cmdr. Mitch Higgins, who manages the jail.
Deputies administered Narcan and the woman began to display increased vital signs. As staff were prepping the first inmate for transport, they were notified by other pod residents of another woman who appeared to be overdosing.
One woman is being held on several charges, including possession of a controlled substance and has been in jail since October. The second inmate is being held on a contempt of court charge and has been in jail since Dec. 29.
Neither is expected to face new charges related to Sunday’s incident, Higgins said, as a result of lack of evidence.
Jail staff are now investigating, so far without much success, to try and determine how the contraband narcotics entered the facility.
“We believe it got smuggled in and it got through our body scanner, and it got through the strip search portion,” Higgins said.
But who sneaked the drugs in and how, exactly, is not clear.
Neither of the inmates who took the narcotics are cooperating with investigators.
The body scanner used at the jail is similar to those used at airports, and should be able to catch stashed items like pills. However, Higgins said, it can be difficult to differentiate between something like concealed narcotics and constipation.
When intake staff do detect anomalies on the scanner, that inmate is often kept in the booking area for extra time to try and prevent the introduction of contraband, he added.
“It’s scary to me,” Higgins said. “If people smuggle drugs in … we could have a whole pod die from overdoses, especially if they get really powerful fentanyl.”
Narcan is stocked throughout the jail.
As of Tuesday he had scheduled an appointment with technicians to examine whether the scanner is operating properly. Jail staff are also reviewing video evidence and trying to parse who may have introduced the contraband.
rschafir@durangoherald.com