Butler County Prison officials have confirmed that synthetic marijuana caused a spate of sickened guards at the jail in August, mirroring similar incidents in several county jails.

Drug tests of inmates' mail conducted by county detectives revealed that synthetic marijuana, sometimes called K2 or JWH, was responsible for sickening employees throughout the year at the county jail, according to Joe DeMore, warden.

On Aug. 14, DeMore reported that six prison employees had experienced shortness of breath, dilated pupils, dizziness and a burning sensation in their mouths and throats. After a brief hospital visit, their symptoms subsided.

Medical emergencies also occurred at SCI-Mercer, county jails in Greene and Fayette counties and the Allegheny County Jail, which was locked down Sept. 3 after 11 employees were sickened under similar circumstances.

These incidents led state officials to lock down state-run prisons Aug. 29 and implement measures meant to prevent the drug from being smuggled in.

Read Tuesday's Butler Eagle for an example of how security has changed at the prison since the incident.