SECOND FAIRFIELD CO. INMATE TREATED FOR HEROIN USE

LANCASTER - The second inmate in one week was treated for using
heroin in the Fairfield County Jail.

Marilyn L. Meadows, 54, of Lancaster, was taken by deputies to
Fairfield Medical Center early Saturday morning. She since has been
returned to the jail on Wheeling Street.

Officers only discovered a male inmate high on heroin a week ago
today. He apparently used the drug while in jail. Fairfield County
Sheriff Dave Phalen has increased the number of strip searches and
will bring drug-sniffing dogs into the jail more often. He also is
promising to do more random searches of the dorms and cells.

"Our hands are tied on the things we can do," Phalen said. "We can't
do body cavity searches unless we have probable cause and a judge has
signed a search warrant and a medical professional must do it."

Fairfield County Sheriff's jailers were told Meadows and another
inmate were using heroin in the women's bathroom.

Deputies talked to Meadows, who appeared to be under the influence of
drugs. She was taken to FMC shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday and
returned to jail after treatment.

The females in the dorm were strip-searched, and the female dorm was
searched after the incident. Deputies said they found no drugs.

Meadows told deputies she ate a black substance she said was provided
to her by another inmate.

The other inmate denied providing the heroin to Meadows. But the
second inmate admitted to deputies she got high on heroin before
turning herself in Friday.

Meadows remains in jail, but the other inmate has been released.
Meadows entered the jail Jan. 16 after she was convicted of theft.
She was sentenced to 150 days in jail.

Neither inmate has been charged with crimes relating to the incident
at the jail.

Chad Kerens, 28, of Lancaster, was taken Jan. 30 to Fairfield Medical
Center for treatment after he overdosed on heroin.

County deputies found him unconscious in a television room around
8:20 p.m. Jan. 30.

Lancaster medics transported him to the hospital. Inmates told
deputies Kerens overdosed on heroin, according to an incident report.

Kerens was returned to the jail after receiving treatment. He has
been in jail since Nov. 29. Kerens is serving time for failure to
appear on a driving under suspension charge.

Officers searched the dorms Jan. 30 and found two small glass tubes
with brownish residue inside them. One tube was found in the showers,
and the other one was in Kerens' property.

Phalen said there were no reported incidents involving drugs in jail
in 2006, while only three incidents involving jail inmates were
reported in 2005.

Phalen said his office has expanded its investigation to cover both
incidents. He said anyone caught bringing drugs into the jail will be
prosecuted. Phalen said his office will look into buying a new X-ray
chair that detects anything hidden in body cavities once a person
sits on the chair.

"It costs $5,000 and could help us a great deal in our searches," Phalen said.

Inmates in the county jail include people who have been arrested for
traffic offenses and people serving time for conviction of crimes.

Phalen said the jailers routinely conduct surprise searches in the
dorms to remove any contraband.

Before the recent incidents, officers reviewed prior criminal
histories of people admitted to the jail before conducting strip
searches. People serving time following a conviction also would be
strip searched

Phalen plans to hold an in-service training on the procedures for and
how to conduct strip searches.

"It is very hard to keep drugs out a jail," Phalen said. "We have to
balance the rights of the individuals with security of jail."