Current:Home > NewsWorker’s death at California federal prison investigated for possible fentanyl exposure, AP learns -TradeWise
Worker’s death at California federal prison investigated for possible fentanyl exposure, AP learns
View
Date:2025-04-12 12:08:54
WASHINGTON (AP) — A worker at a federal prison in California has died and investigators are examining whether he was exposed to fentanyl shortly before his death, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Marc Fisher, a mailroom supervisor at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California, died Friday after he reported feeling ill earlier, the people said. They said he was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead later in the evening.
Investigators are examining whether he was exposed to a substance authorities believe was fentanyl while he screening mail at the prison, the people said. The people could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Fisher’s cause of death remained unknown Saturday and it was unclear whether the potential exposure may have contributed. Briefly touching fentanyl cannot cause an overdose, and researchers have found that the risk of fatal overdose from accidental exposure is low.
His death is the latest serious incident in the Bureau of Prisons, which operates 122 federal prisons and has faced myriad crisis in recent years from rampant sexual abuse and other criminal misconduct by staff to chronic understaffing, escapes and high-profile deaths.
In 2019, the agency began photocopying inmate letters and other mail at some federal correctional facilities across the country instead of delivering the original parcels, in an attempt to combat the smuggling of synthetic narcotics.
Legislation was introduced by a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers in 2023 to require the Bureau of Prisons’ director to develop a strategy to interdict fentanyl and other synthetic drugs sent through the mail to federal prisons nationwide. The bill has stalled in the House.
__
Sisak reported from New York.
veryGood! (61179)
Related
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- July Fourth hot dog eating contest men's competition won by Joey Chestnut with 62 hot dogs and buns
- Biochar Traps Water and Fixes Carbon in Soil, Helping the Climate. But It’s Expensive
- IPCC: Radical Energy Transformation Needed to Avoid 1.5 Degrees Global Warming
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- 2020: A Year of Pipeline Court Fights, with One Lawsuit Headed to the Supreme Court
- Man fishing with his son drowns after rescuing 2 other children swimming at Pennsylvania state park
- The 10 Best Weekend Sales to Shop Right Now: Dyson, Coach Outlet, Charlotte Tilbury & More
- 'Most Whopper
- United Airlines passengers affected by flight havoc to receive travel vouchers
Ranking
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- California Farmers Work to Create a Climate Change Buffer for Migratory Water Birds
- World’s Current Fossil Fuel Plans Will Shatter Paris Climate Limits, UN Warns
- Controversial BLM Chief Pendley’s Tenure Extended Again Without Nomination, Despite Protests
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Dissecting ‘Unsettled,’ a Skeptical Physicist’s Book About Climate Science
- Army utilizes a different kind of boot camp to bolster recruiting numbers
- IRS warns of new tax refund scam
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Baby girl among 4 found dead by Texas authorities in Rio Grande river on U.S.-Mexico border in just 48 hours
A New Book Feeds Climate Doubters, but Scientists Say the Conclusions are Misleading and Out of Date
China Ramps Up Coal Power Again, Despite Pressure to Cut Emissions
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
Alligator attacks and kills woman who was walking her dog in South Carolina
JoJo Siwa's Bold Hair Transformation Is Perfect If You're Torn Between Going Blonde or Brunette
These 15 Secrets About A Walk to Remember Are Your Only Hope