The Allegheny County jail is on lockdown after 11 employees were sickened by an unknown odor or substance.
According to a press release from the county, nine corrections officers and two medical personnel became sick beginning around 10 p.m. Sunday evening. After being taken to the hospital, they were released.
Inmates are being interviewed by staff to determine what the substance is and where it came from. The jail is being searched. County police are also involved in the investigation.
The lockdown comes after the entire Pennsylvania prison system went on lockdown last Wednesday. The statewide lockdown was ordered after 29 employees experienced illnesses related to a synthetic drug.
Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said the employees were exposed to what appeared to be K2, a synthetic cannabis. Staff members who came into contact with K2 experienced a range of reactions, from difficulty breathing, to rashes and fainting.
