A dose a day of Narcan sparks concern about drugs in NJ prisons

Staff at NJ prisons have administered Narcan 950 times in the past two years. Some experts say this suggests widespread drug use.

By: Dana DiFilippo

Outlets: New Jersey Monitor

Published: March 2, 2026

Words: 1,134

Last Updated: 1 week, 2 days ago

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Prisons are supposed to be drug-free spaces, but illicit drugs have become so rampant in New Jersey’s state lockups that staff administered the overdose-reversing drug Narcan more than once a day, on average, in recent years, a new report reveals.

Correctional officers and medical staff used Narcan in 406 separate incidents in the 2025 fiscal year, and 544 times the year before, according to an annual report on prison health care the …

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