Two inmates who were found unresponsive in a cell at the New Haven Correctional Center have died of a suspected fentanyl overdose, state Department of Correction officials said.
A correction officer also exhibited symptoms of fentanyl exposure and was treated with Narcan, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, officials said. The correction officer is recovering at a hospital, officials said.
The names of the inmates are not being released until their families have been notified, a DOC spokesman said in a press release. The inmates were found unresponsive in one cell by a correction officer Thursday during a routine tour, officials said. The gender of the inmates was not released. The facility houses males who are facing pre-trial court proceedings.
One of the inmates was transferred to St. Raphael Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The second inmate was pronounced dead at the New Haven facility, the DOC said. The cause and manner of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, officials said.
The state’s Inspector General who investigates in-custody deaths at police departments and the DOC was also notified and was on the scene, officials said. The State Police Central District Major Crimes unit and the DOC Security Division were also on scene, the agency said. The DOC did not respond to requests for information on when the men entered the facility.
State police recently arrested a correction officer who worked at Cheshire Correctional Institution who is accused of selling marijuana to inmates.
