DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Update, Oct. 11: Dauphin County officials have filed charges against inmate Shane Underkoffler, 35, for contraband and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, following a series of overdoses at Dauphin County Prison.
Ten inmates were affected, with nine having returned to the facility after receiving medical treatment. The tenth inmate, initially in critical condition, is now awake, alert and showing signs of improvement.
"We extend our gratitude to the investigators who acted swiftly and reiterate our commitment to combating contraband within DCP to ensure the safety and well-being of all inmates," said Vincent Paese with the Dauphin County Commissioner.
Previously: On Wednesday, officials confirmed that there were 10 overdoses at Dauphin County Prison.
At the Dauphin County Commissioners workshop meeting during public comment, it was brought to the Commissioners' attention that rumors were circulating regarding overdoses at the prison.
"Let me say that I am a member of this prison's citizen advisory board. One of the things that we heard in the last day is that there have been 10 fentanyl overdoses in the prison and that there's currently one person who, depending on where you hear it from, is either dead or in very critical condition," said Harrisburg citizen Pamela Parson. "Now, I learned this from other members of the citizen advisory board because people in the community talk to us."
"There could be parts of what I'm hearing that are rumors, but because of the wall that is there and because your appointed citizen's advisory board is never used by the staff to be notified when there is something major happening at the prison, we [can] only go on the same things that people in the community hear," Parson continued. "Even if our information is wrong, and I don't believe it is, we can only blame the county [and] the prison because you always have the opportunity to come to us with this information and say 'Here's the truth, here's how to respond when people talk to you,' but that never happens,"
County Commissioner Justin Douglas began his response by apologizing for the county's lack of communication, and acknowledging that they have to do better with utilizing their community advisory team, especially when they are trusted to quell fact-checking issues, such as this.
"We did have 10 overdoses. Those were 10 hospital transports, and it was not fentanyl, it was a benzo. We do have one individual in critical condition, [but] their condition has improved over the weekend," Commissioner Douglas stated. "An investigation is ongoing to [find out] how those particular drugs got on to the block in which they got to."
The Dauphin County Prison released the following statement to FOX43:
'On September 28th, several inmates ingested an unknown substance, necessitating hospitalization. In the following days, additional inmates began displaying similar symptoms, resulting in a total of ten individuals from various blocks requiring medical attention. Investigations revealed that all affected inmates had consumed the same unidentified substance. A joint investigation involving DCP Internal Affairs and the Dauphin County Criminal Investigative Division (CID) was promptly launched and is currently ongoing.'