Worker’s death at California federal prison investigated for possible fentanyl exposure, AP learns

WASHINGTON — A federal prison worker in California has died, and investigators are investigating whether he was exposed to fentanyl shortly before his death, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Marc Fisher, mailroom supervisor at the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, Californiadied Friday after reporting feeling ill earlier, the people said. They said he was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead later that evening.

Investigators are looking into whether he was exposed to a substance that authorities believe is fentanyl while checking mail at the jail, the sources said. The sources could not publicly discuss details about the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Fisher’s cause of death remained unknown Saturday, and it was unclear whether possible exposure contributed. Briefly touching fentanyl cannot cause overdoseand researchers have discovered that the risk of fatal overdose due to accidental exposure is low.

His death is the latest serious incident at the Bureau of Prisons, which operates 122 federal prisons and has faced numerous crises in recent years. widespread sexual abuse and others criminal misconduct by staff to chronic understaffing, escapes And notable deaths.

In 2019, the agency began copying inmate letters and other mail at several federal correctional facilities across the country, rather than delivering the original packages, in an effort to combat the smuggling of synthetic narcotics.

In 2023, a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers introduced legislation to require the director of the Bureau of Prisons to develop a strategy to ban fentanyl and other synthetic drugs sent through the mail to federal prisons across the country. The bill has stalled in the House of Representatives.

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Sisak reported from New York.