Staff members at Auburn prison encountered with unidentified chemicals
Over a three-day period from August 3 to August 6, 2025, eleven staff members at the Auburn Correctional Facility were hospitalized following separate exposures to unknown chemical substances. The incidents involved contact with inmate mail and substances exchanged between cells, leading to symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nausea, lightheadedness, and vomiting.
On August 3, two officers conducting a cell frisk encountered inmate mail that felt damp. Both officers became lightheaded with headaches and chills. The mail had an unknown substance that has not yet been identified.
On August 5, an officer detected a chemical burning smell in a cell block. Subsequent reports of a similar odor appeared. An inmate blew smoke with a chemical smell into one officer’s face, who then became dizzy, nauseous, and had elevated blood pressure. A sergeant, three officers, and a civilian staff member in the area also became ill and were hospitalized. Surveillance video showed inmates exchanging unknown substances beforehand. Fire department chemical tests were inconclusive.
On August 6, two inmates were found vomiting in their cells. When a sergeant and officer escorted them to the infirmary, they became ill and were hospitalized with a third officer also falling ill after entering the cell. A search of the inmates’ cells found three sheets of paper soaked in an unknown liquid and two white pills later identified as anti-anxiety medication.
The lack of chemical identification in such exposures is a concern, as stated by Kenny Gold, Western Region Vice President of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA). He emphasized the urgent need for stronger measures to prevent contraband and unknown chemical exposure of prison staff.
These incidents at Auburn Correctional Facility continue to highlight ongoing safety concerns. The continued presence of contraband substances despite mail scanning protocols started in April 2025, and the frequency of such exposures increasing statewide, have raised serious concerns. Gold expressed frustration over the lack of chemical identification, noting the serious risk of permanent disability or death for staff exposed repeatedly.
In summary, the Auburn Correctional Facility has experienced serious health incidents related to unknown toxic substances potentially introduced through contraband mail and inmate exchanges, raising significant ongoing safety and health concerns for correctional staff. Further investigation is needed to identify the sources of these substances and implement effective measures to protect staff and ensure the safety of the facility.
In the course of the investigation, it was revealed that some of the medical-conditions experienced by the staff at the Auburn Correctional Facility, such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, lightheadedness, and vomiting, might have been caused by undetected chemical substances in inmate mail or substances exchanged between cells. The Western Region Vice President of the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), Kenny Gold, called for stronger measures to prevent contraband and unknown chemical exposure, citing health-and-wellness as a prominent concern in crime-and-justice settings. The general-news of the ongoing safety concerns and the lack of chemical identification have sparked a call for further scientific research to identify the sources of these substances and implement effective measures to protect staff and ensure the safety of the facility.
