An employee from AFGE Local Union 4070 was exposed to substances suspected to be amphetamines, leading to their hospitalization.
Yesterday, at around noon, employees at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Thomson in Thomson, Illinois, discovered a suspicious substance during a search in a housing unit. One employee inadvertently came into contact with the substance. As a precautionary measure, the incarcerated individuals were confined to their housing units, and the institution was placed on modified operational status.
The employee who had contact with the substance was taken to a nearby hospital as a precautionary measure but has since been discharged. Fortunately, there were no other injuries reported.
We are currently conducting an internal investigation.
There was never a moment when the public was at risk.
FCI Thomson went into lockdown when a prison staff member had to be hospitalized due to exposure to what is suspected to be amphetamines.
AFGE Local Union 4070, representing Thomson’s prison workers, reported that an employee was exposed on Monday, Sept. 2. Following the incident, the worker received a dose of Narcan and was subsequently hospitalized. This occurrence follows a similar incident just two weeks prior, where another employee had to be treated with Narcan after being exposed to an unidentified substance.
The lockdown will continue to be in effect until further notice.
Thomson currently houses 1,906 inmates, as reported by union officials. Over the years, the federal prison has faced numerous controversies, including a high number of alleged attacks on staff members and concerns about retention pay for employees. For more information on Thomson, you can check out News 8’s coverage on the subject.
