Officials respond to overdose in Barren County Detention Center

GLASGOW, Ky. (WBKO) - It was revealed that a Barren County Detention Center inmate possibly overdosed on New Year’s Eve.

Aaron Shirley, a jailer for Barren County, said the inmate was immediately rushed to the hospital to receive medical treatment.

However, a close friend of the inmate said it took several hours before they received any medical care.

“The inmates told the deputies that she was okay, but she was not. She was laying there having a seizure,” said Mary Bennett, the girlfriend of the inmate who overdosed.

“They are also saying that it took 12 hours or something like that, and we are all just trying to figure out what is true because they have told us so many lies about it. We are all just trying to get down to the bottom of what actually happened.”

Shirley mentioned that the inmate received medical attention within 30 minutes.

“They were immediately taken to TJ Samson Community Hospital for treatment. They have since been medically cleared, and back in our facility, alive and well,” said Shirley.

Bennett said that the victim’s body wash was laced with fentanyl, which led to their overdose.

She also said she does not know how the drugs got into the facility but said higher security measures need to be taken in the future to prevent incidents like these.

“They should check everyone that comes in and out. Whenever the inmates go in and out for work, they need to check them,” said Bennett. “When they leave to go to work and whenever they come back in, the inmates need to be checked.”

Shirley said he currently has teams investigating this incident, per his request. He will provide an update when more details are revealed.”

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