VIENNA – A hazmat team arrived at Shawnee Correctional Center in Vienna Wednesday morning after six staff members experienced medical symptoms.

According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, a correctional officer went to the health care unit with medical symptoms after doing a count in a housing unit.

Then another correctional officer in that housing unit’s control room reported medical symptoms too and was taken by two other officers to the health care unit. The two officers began feeling ill as well along with two staff members in the health care unit.  

IDOC says five of the six staff members were decontaminated and taken to an outside hospital by ambulance for evaluation. They have been released. No one in custody at Shawnee was impacted. The facility remains on lockdown. The hazmat team conducted a search and didn’t find anything harmful.

This incident comes amid several reports of reported drug exposures at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Six staff members at Shawnee were recently treated at an area hospital. IDOC says testing of their items and clothing did not find anything harmful. They continue to investigate.

State Sen. Dale Fowler along with his fellow southern Illinois lawmakers recently sent a letter to Acting IDOC Director Latoya Hughes to formally request that she temporarily suspend processing all non-legal mail until action is taken to safeguard employees and inmates.