CHILLICOTHE – A mixture of heroin and fentanyl has been identified by the Ohio State Highway Patrol as the substance that caused an apparent overdose of one inmate and required medical attention for 27 staff members at the Ross Correctional Institution (RCI) in Chillicothe this morning. Approximately 31 inmates who were not affected were removed from the cellblock and relocated inside the facility.
A sample of the substance was collected from RCI and relayed to the Ohio State Highway Patrol crime lab for testing.
A total of 29 individuals were possibly exposed to the mixture. There were 28 individuals (23 correction officers, four nurses, and one inmate) transported to the hospital, and 24 required treatment. One inmate was treated on scene and was not transported.
One staff member/first responder and one inmate remain hospitalized. All other employees have been discharged.
The situation remains under investigation by the Patrol.
