Heroin crisis reaches inside Alfred jail

ALFRED, Maine - Heroin issues have surfaced this month at York County Jail where three female inmates are suspected of snorting the drug.

An investigation into the drug use began on July 9 around

1:30 p.m. when a female inmate appeared to suffer from a heroin overdose and was found unresponsive in her bunk after inmates alerted a corrections officer on duty, according to a press on Tuesday from York County Sheriff Bill King.

York County medical providers and a visiting Emergency Room Doctor were on hand to provide medical assistance.

One female inmate reported the victim had snorted heroin and she was transported to Southern Maine Medical Center (SMMC) in Sanford and later released.

Soon after the entire unit was "locked down" and jail investigators began questioning the inmates in the unit, some who said the source of the heroin was two recent arrivals to the unit.

Both of those inmates had been arrested the previous day for drug related incidents. One female was arrested for unlawful trafficking of a scheduled drug and the other was arrested on multiple outstanding warrants. The two women were together when arrested by local authorities.

Investigators then removed the two suspects to a different part of the facility for interviews, while corrections officers commenced a cell by cell search of the unit and drug sniffing canines were brought in from the Maine Department of Corrections.

While cell searches were conducted, all inmates were staged in the "day room" area of the unit.

One of the pair of new arrivals surrendered a powder she claimed was heroin and admitted snorting the substance. She was evaluated by the jail medical provider, and it was determined that she did not require hospitalization.

Later that afternoon, a third inmate appeared ill and was evaluated by medical staff. Information was obtained that she also ingested heroin leading to her being transported to SMMC and later released.

The investigation of trafficking in prison contraband is continuing and charges are anticipated. Suspected heroin has been recovered from three inmates and one admitted that the heroin was introduced into the facility by secreting it in a body cavity upon initial admission.

Most inmates are routinely stripped searched when admitted to the York County Jail however; some offenders have secreted drugs in body cavities to avoid detection.

Investigators learned that the suspected heroin was adulterated with fentanyl. The suspected heroin will be sent to the Department of Health and Human Services lab for further testing.