KATV's Jason Pederson reported last night on the continuing incidence of drug deaths in Arkansas prison units -- five more linked to the synthetic drug K2 -- and got a rare interview with prison director Wendy Kelley.
The state Correction Board meets Monday at State Police headquarters and some big topics — prison population and a dangerous drug responsible for prison deaths — are on the agenda.
A legislative committee heard from Correction Department officials today on a recent spate of deaths in the Varner Unit presumed to be related to illegal drugs, perhaps the synthetic drug known as K2.
Two more inmates died this morning at the Varner Supermax prison unit, the fourth and fifth deaths since Sunday as a result of suspected drug use. A prison official also confirmed about a dozen inmates had been treated earlier in the week for drug reactions, though none required hospitalization.
Arkansas State Police announced that special agents of its criminal investigation devision arrested a correctional officer and a visitor on Wednesday in connection with illegal drugs and other prohibited items being brought into two prisons in East Arkansas.
Phillip Hardy, an inmate at the East Arkansas Regional Unit in Brickeys (Lee County), died last night after he was found unconscious in his single-man cell.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections released data showing that K2 incidents are down from 99.1 a month in early 2017 to just 74 a month, saying the reduction is "in large part" due to a restrictive mail policy that went into effect Aug. 21. But that mail policy grew ire from the ACLU and the K2 incidents are still way above 2016 numbers, even with the reduction.