HealthSunday, October 18, 20262 min read

Every scrap of paper checked: Police hunting for synthetic drugs in Chicago jail

By BBC News · Published by Everything Blog

In short

A crackdown on synthetic drugs is underway in Chicago's D block jail, where inmates have overdosed on traditional drugs brought in through body cavities. The facility saw an increase in overdose deaths in 2023, with eight inmates losing their lives. The police are searching the jail as part of a larger crackdown. A former inmate and dealer explained how synthetic drugs can be made in the US using household ingredients, which could change the demand for drugs from outside of the country.

Key points

Police are searching the jail as part of a crackdown on synthetic drugs.: Police are searching the jail as part of a crackdown on synthetic drugs.
The facility saw an increase in overdose deaths in 2023, with eight inmates losing their…: The facility saw an increase in overdose deaths in 2023, with eight inmates losing their lives.
Traditional drugs were usually brought into the jail in body cavities, but a new way of d…: Traditional drugs were usually brought into the jail in body cavities, but a new way of drugs entering the prison was uncovered: drugs were being mailed into the jail soaked in the paper of the pages of books and in letters.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Chicago's largest jail, and the largest single use jail in America, is Cook County.

In 2023 it saw a spike in overdose deaths. The facility, which averages one or two overdose deaths a year, lost eight inmates that year to fatal seizures. Security footage shows prisoners spasming and collapsing.

Traditional drugs were usually brought into the jail in body cavities, so the jail had the same body scanners you find at airports to prevent that happening. However, a new way of drugs entering the prison was uncovered. Drugs were being mailed into the jail soaked in the paper of the pages of books and in letters.

The BBC's Quentin Sommerville joined corrections officers at Cook County as they prepared for an early morning raid on the jail's high security D block.

To understand the challenge that authorities face in tackling the problem the BBC interviewed a former inmate and dealer, who explained how synthetic drugs can be made in the US using household ingredients and how this could change the demand for drugs from outside of the country.

Every scrap of paper checked: Police hunting for synthetic drugs in Chicago jail

In short

Key points

More in Health