Fentanyl Behind Bars

Amidst the fentanyl and opioid crisis, the rise of overdoses within prisons has greatly increased. Mass incarceration and the surge of overdose deaths have always been deeply related and rooted in America's War on Drugs movement. 1 in 5 prisoners of America’s 2.3 million prison population are incarcerated for drug related offenses. This is particularly prevalent for communities of color as black individuals are incarcerated for drug offenses at much higher rates. Additionally, the leading cause of death among prisoners recently released from prison is overdose. Those incarcerated in state prisons are 129 times more likely to die from overdose compared to the general public and are 40 times more likely to die from opioid overdose two weeks post release. Behind bars, overdose is the third leading cause of death. 

Recently, in Northwestern Washington, seven inmates were hospitalized after overdosing on fentanyl, as reported by the local sheriff's office. In Snohomish County jail, 30 minutes from Seattle, a 37 year old inmate is believed to have snuck fentanyl into the jail. Soon after, the inmate was seen to demonstrate unusual behavior that seemed to coincide with the symptoms of a fentanyl overdose. Then multiple inmates began to follow lead, swaying against the prison walls. 23 emergency response units responded to the incident, administering narcan, credited to eventually save the inmates lives. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid laced in other drugs which has become increasingly prevalent throughout the US as the rate of fentanyl overdose deaths has spiked 279% since 2016.