HILLSBORO, Ill. (WAND) — Possible exposure to an unidentified substance at Graham Correctional Center lead to 18 employees being hospitalized, according to AFSCME.
A release from IDOC's Public Information Officer confirmed that multiple staff members were exposed to a substance while responding to an incident and were treated at a hospital as a precaution. Inmates who were affected by the incident were treated in the facility's healthcare unit, but IDOC did not provide the number of inmates affected. The Illinois State Police Hazmat Team are on the premises investigating the incident.
AFSCME Council 31's Director of Public Affairs, Anders Lindall told WAND that on Wednesday afternoon, an inmate was in distress and that staff who responded became sickened with nausea, light-headedness, and one possible seizure.
Eighteen AFSCME members were treated at a hospital and are currently stable with some being held for observation. Testing is being done to determine which, if any, substance the employees were exposed to.
Lindall said that the union was "very concerned" by rising incidents of prison workers being exposed to dangerous substances during the course of their work. AFSCME is pushing IDOC to take smuggling and contraband more seriously.
The Fayette County Health Department reported that the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, Vandalia Police Department, Fayette County Coroner, Vandalia School District and the St. Elmo School District came together to provide Graham Correctional Center with over 100 doses of Narcan.
"When a neighboring county asks, you step up," the health department posted to Facebook.
This is a developing story and WAND News will update this article with the latest information.
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