By C1 Staff
SIOUX FALLS — Three inmates became ill Monday night at the South Dakota State Penitentiary, and officials believe a synthetic drug is to blame.
KDLT reports that all incoming inmates are now being strip searched for the drug K-2, or synthetic marijuana.
The drug was banned in the state back in 2012, but many are still getting their hands on it.
Officials don’t know exactly where the drug came from, but do believe that the inmates ingested K-2. Those inmates never left prison property. Two of them were taken to the hospital after suffering seizure-like symptoms.
A search did not turn up any additional drugs or contraband.
“K-2 has been a problem for us for a long time, but in the last few weeks, we have seen an uptick in problems with this at our minimum-security unit in Sioux Falls,” said DOC Secretary Denny Kaemingk.
Prison procedures are being modified to deal with the problem, starting with strip searching every inmate who goes out and comes back into the unit.