>> IN A SWEEPING MOVE TO ADDRESS WHAT OFFICIALS SEE AS A RISING HEALTH CONCERN WITH IN COOK COUNTY JAIL.

AUTHORITIES HAVE IMPOSED HEAVY RESTRICTIONS ON EXTERNAL PAPER PRODUCTS ENTERING THE FACILITY.

IT COMES IN THE WAKE OF A NUMBER OF FATAL OVERDOSES LINKED TO DRUG SOAKED PAPER.

CAROL MURRAY AND STUDENTS FROM THE DEPAUL CENTER FOR JOURNALISM, INTEGRITY AND EXCELLENCE HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING IN.

CARROLL JOINS US NOW.

CAROL, WELCOME BACK.

IT COULD BRANDIS THE OVERDOSES WERE LINKED TO SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS.

THEY ARE LAB-MADE DRUGS THAT CAN BE LACED AND THIS WILL SURPRISE YOU WITH RAT AND ROACH POISE TO ENHANCE THE HIGH JUSTIN WILKES, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE AT THE JAIL CALLS THIS URGENT SITUATION.

>> IT'S THE AGE OLD PROBLEM.

MIGHT THAT TRYING TO GET STUFF JAIL PRESIDENTS.

SO THIS IS JUST THE NEWEST THING.

>> THE NEWEST THING IS DRUG SOAKED PAPER AND THESE ARE EXAMPLES.

JAIL OFFICIALS CONFISCATED.

>> INSIDE THE SO YOU'LL SEE PAPERS THAT ARE SATURATED LIKE THIS.

SO THE WRINKLE THAT DISCOLORATION AND THE DIFFERENT SHADES.

>> THIS DISCOLORATION HAPPENS.

THE PAPERS ARE SOAKED WITH SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS ALSO REFERRED TO AS K 2 OR SPICE.

A LAB MADE SUBSTITUTE FOR CANNABIS.

THAT ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS IS RISING IN POPULARITY AMONG COOK COUNTY'S JAIL DETAINEES.

>> SO WE'VE HAD 17 INDIVIDUALS IN CUSTODY INVITED THIS YEAR FOR SATURATED PAPERS.

>> ACCORDING TO AUTOPSIES, WE REVIEWED 3 DETAINEES HAVE DIED IN THE LAST YEAR INSIDE THE JAIL FROM SYNTHETIC CANNABINOID USE IN THE CASE OF THOMAS DISC IN THE 57 YEAR-OLD WHITE MALE, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S REPORT REVEALED AUTHORITIES FOUND TO PARTIALLY BURNT PIECES OF TOILET PAPER USED AS IGNITION TOOLS ADDING HE WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS.

>> PEOPLE A STAR, NOT ENOUGH.

A LITTLE BIT.

AND BECAUSE IT CAUSES SO MUCH OF YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE TO GO UP, YOU CAN SEE THE EFFECTS OF IT IN THE BRAIN YOUR BRAIN JUST KIND OF STARTS TO BLEED OUT.

DOCTOR PRISCILLA, WHERE IS THE DIRECTOR OF CORRECTIONAL HEALTH?

WHY ROACH SPRAY RAT POISONING BEING USED WITH DRUGS?

I WISH I HAD THAT MILLION DOLLAR ANSWER TO THAT.

BUT PEOPLE ARE SMOKING IT TO, GUESS, GET THE EFFECTS OF WHAT IT CAN A GIFT TO YOU.

HOWEVER, VERY DANGEROUS AT THE SPRAWLING COOK COUNTY JAIL, APPROXIMATELY 5,000 DETAINEES.

>> WAIT FOR THEIR DAY IN COURT.

IN A SMALL WINDOWLESS ROOM, STAFF GO THROUGH ALL ARRIVING, MALE, CHECKING FOR ANYTHING THAT SEEMS SUSPICIOUS.

IT DOES FEEL THEY THEY HOLD LETTERS UP TO THE LIGHT AND THEY SORT HAD HIGH TO TEACH.

IF YOU CAN'T BRING IN PAPER, THAT CAN'T BE TRUE.

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR MINDY AND TEACHES A MATH PROGRAM AT THE JAIL.

SHE SAYS PLANNING AND EXECUTING CLASSES CAN BE DIFFICULT.

ALL PAPER SHE BRINGS MUST BE PRE SCREENED DAYS IN ADVANCE.

LAST MINUTE CLASS NOTES, SHE OFTEN SCRAWLS ON >> AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU THINK CLASSES WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE STRUCTURES.

I THINK THAT >> I THINK I COULD BE MORE SPONTANEOUS.

I THINK THE STUDENTS COULD BE MORE SPONTANEOUS.

>> AND HALLOWEEN, A SMALL GROUP GATHERED OUTSIDE THE CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING TO PROTEST THE NEW RESTRICTIONS.

THEY CLAIM BOOKS THEY SENT TO CONTAIN.

HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY REJECTED.

HOWEVER, RESTRICTIONS ON LEGAL DOCUMENTS WERE LIFTED IN SEPTEMBER AFTER DEFENSE ATTORNEYS PROTESTED.

>> HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH TIME TO JUDGE IF WHAT YOU PUT IN PLACE IS HAVING AN IMPACT.

>> JANE GROUPS HERE, THE EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF THE JAIL SAYS IT'S TOO SOON TO TELL IF THE PAPER RESTRICTIONS HAVE WORKED.

SHE ESTIMATES THAT 60% OF DETAINEES HAVE SOME SORT OF ADDICTION PROBLEM.

>> OF THE JAIL'S 378 MILLION DOLLAR OPERATING BUDGET.

ABOUT 3 MILLION DOLLARS GOES TO HELP STAFF PROGRAMS, THE DEAL WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND DRUG ADDICTION, BOTH OF WHICH WERE PROBLEMS THOMAS TO SKIN.

>> IN THE AUTOPSY, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER NOTE THE SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS CAN CAUSE EUPHORIA, RELAXATION ALTERED PERCEPTION OF TIME, BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE LETHAL.

>> BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN JAIL ARE NOT NECESSARILY USE DRUGS BECAUSE THEY'RE ADDICTED TO DRUGS.

USING DRUGS BECAUSE THEY'RE IN TERRIBLE SITUATION AND THEY WANT TO NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON OR GET A LITTLE BIT OF RELIEF SMUGGLING CONTRABAND INTO ALMOST ANY JAIL IS HARDLY A NEW STORY.

>> BUT COOK COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES REQUIRE TOUGHER RESTRICTIONS AS THEY TRY WITH SOME RESULTS TO HELP THOSE WHO WANT TO HELP THEMSELVES.

WE RECENTLY HIRED SOMEONE WHO SPECIFICALLY A RECOVERY SUPPORT SPECIALIST.

>> SO EVERY TIME I GET NOTIFICATION OF SOMEONE TO BE SUSPECTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE, SHE GOES MEET WITH THEM AND TALKS TO HIM ABOUT A YEAR AND THEY ARE WHETHER OR NOT THERE SHOULD IN RECOVERY.

AND I'D SAY ABOUT 50% OF PEOPLE.

SHE TALKS TO SAY, YEAH, I COULD ACTUALLY TO TALK TO SOMEONE.

>> IN THE AUTOPSIES ARE TO PAUL STUDENTS REVEALED THERE WERE OVERDOSE DEATHS BY FENTANYL, BUT IT WAS SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS THAT SPARKED THE MOST RECENT RESTRICTIONS.

BRANDON'S, CAROL, IS A STATEWIDE ISSUE, NOT SO MUCH.

THE NUMBERS SAY NO BACK NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, THERE WERE 150 DEATHS IN 2018 LINK TO THE CANNABINOIDS.

BUT MOST RECENTLY IN THE LAST 3 YEARS,