Sheriff: 3 Inmates Simultaneously Overdose At Oneida County Jail

Three inmates simultaneously overdosed on heroin at the Oneida Count Jail recently.

Sheriff Rob Maciol says they're still investigating the incident which occurred on December 2nd. The three inmates - who were all housed in the same block - overdosed but were were all with resuscitated with nalaxone. Two required further medical treatment after their lives were saved, he said.

'This is a huge struggle for us. We get visitors 5 days a week in the jail during regular business hours...so literally at the end of a calendar year we're looking at over 20,000 visitors coming to visit inmates at the jail' Maciol said. Visitation rooms are equipped with cameras and sheriff's personnel who watch inmates and visitors, but still, some have success in passing illegal items to inmates, he said.

'We catch a lot of contraband. There are many times when someone comes in to visit a loved one, they don't go home because we catch them [bringing] contraband', Maciol said.

The sheriff believes one of the biggest challenges in stopping drugs and other contraband from entering the jail is that New York is the only state in the country that mandates that physical contact be allowed between inmates and visitors. He says that includes hugs, hand holding and kissing - the later being one of the most common ways to pass something illegal to a prisoner, he said.

The investigation into the December 2nd overdoses is still being conducted. Thus far no charges have been filed.