Prison worker dies at Atwater Federal Prison in Central Valley; possible fentanyl exposure

The mailroom supervisor at a federal prison in Atwater died Friday, as a result of exposure to mail saturated in an unknown substance. A second worker was also exposed and hospitalized, but released after observation.

Investigators are examining whether the substance was fentanyl, according to the Associated Press.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Kristie Breshears, director of communications, confirmed an investigation was underway, but declined to disclose specifics.

The prison, which is located in Merced County, has temporarily suspended visiting.

Atwater is a high-security federal prison for men. It also includes a minimum-security satellite camp. According to the prison’s website, there are 1,225 inmates on its campus — 1,086 are in the prison, and 139 in the camp.

Marc Fischer, the mailroom supervisor, “began feeling unwell” after being exposed to an item of mail, according to Breshears. “Despite the swift response from local emergency medical services, the employee was tragically pronounced deceased upon arrival at the local hospital.”

Researchers say that briefly touching fentanyl cannot cause an overdose, and the risk of death from accidental exposure is low.

Fischer’s death comes at a time when the Bureau of Prisons, which operates 122 federal prisons across the nation, is under the spotlight for a series of crises including sexual abuse and other criminal misconduct by staff, prisoner escapes, and several high-profile deaths.

According to the Associated Press, in 2019, the bureau began photocopying mail coming into prisons instead of delivering the original parcels to prisoners, in an attempt to combat the smuggling of synthetic narcotics.

In 2023, legislation was introduced that would have required the agency’s director to develop a strategy to prevent fentanyl and other synthetic drugs sent through the mail to federal prisons.

The bill has stalled in the House.

“Our hearts are heavy as we extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of our fallen Bureau employee,” said Breshears in the statement.

A call to the prison went unanswered.