GRAFTON, W.Va. — A grand jury in Taylor County indicted eight inmates of the Pruntytown Correctional Center on drug charges Monday, according to county prosecutor John Bord.
Between Feb. 1 and March 16, 35 inmates at the minimum security facility suffered from some kind of drug overdose.
Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Jeff Sandy said most of those drugs were picked up outside the facility, as inmates can leave to perform tasks such as road cleanup.
A new policy was put into place on March 6 in an attempt to curb drug possession; inmates are prohibited from receiving original copies of letters and instead are given photocopied versions.
Sandy said he estimates 70 percent of drugs in state prisons arrive through the mail system.