In the last week, there have been 12 overdoses, including one death, at the Estrella Jail in Phoenix.
Maricopa County’s Sheriff’s Office investigators believed the overdoses stemmed from illegal narcotics smuggled into the facility.
Through cell searches, officials determined that an inmate had smuggled suspected fentanyl in their genitalia, which contributed to the death of an inmate last Friday.
In a statement, Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said the safety of inmates is a priority and that officials are working on getting X-ray screening machines at jails to prevent such incidents.
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