BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Erie County Sheriff Timothy Howard is reporting that a female inmate apparently overdosed while being held at the Erie County Holding Center.
According to the Sheriff's Department, the incident occurred Sunday, May 12th around 10:25 p.m., when deputies discovered an unresponsive female inmate inside her housing unit. Deputies report she was not breathing and they could not find a pulse and they initiated Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Deputies called for assistance from medical professionals from the Division of Correctional Health. They administered three doses of nasal Narcan and used a defibrillator. She was revived Buffalo General Medical Center.
“It is one of our highest priorities to make sure that drugs and other contraband don’t get smuggled into the jails,” Sheriff Howard said. “Deputies and medical staff acted quickly and heroically to save her life, and I want to commend their actions. But individuals who are gripped by addiction use very creative ways to bring drugs in with them, and it’s a battle we face every day.”
The Sheriff's Department report the inmate was transferred to the Amherst police on May 11th to the holding center and that deputies searched her when she was admitted into the jail.
The Sheriff's Department said the New York State Commission of Correction "has been advised and updated" on the information gathered, and "the office is continuing to investigate the origins of the contraband."
The name of the inmate is not being released due to HIPPA regulations.
Here is additional information the Sheriff's Department has provided on regarding searchers at the facility:
- In September 2018, Deputies discovered a female inmate smuggled narcotics and needles in her vagina cavity.
- The Sheriff’s Office is has been meeting with vendors of full-body scanners since the passage of a new law which allows these devices in jail and prison settings.
