Federal prison in Minnesota on lockdown for more than 2 weeks due to drug use incident
WASECA, Minn. — A low-security federal prison located in southern Minnesota has been on lockdown for more than two weeks in response to drug usage at the facility.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed Thursday that the Waseca Federal Correctional Institution was placed on "modified operations" on Sept. 4 after nine inmates were sent to a local hospital for "exhibiting signs of drug use." Two employees were also evaluated at a local hospital for "potential exposure."
Under the modified operations protocol, inmates can walk around their assigned unit, visit television viewing rooms and use unit-based programming areas, showers, telephones and email terminals, according to a spokesperson.
The prison will remain on modified operations status as an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
"In securing their facility, it is always the hope this security measure will be short-lived and will return to normal operations as quickly as possible," Scott Taylor with the Federal Bureau of Prisons said.
The bureau said the warden will continue to monitor events at the prison and adjust its operations as needed.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' website, there are 884 inmates at the Waseca prison as of Thursday.
On Thursday, the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater went on lockdown when nine staff members were hospitalized after an inmate was found "smoking an unknown substance in his cell."
