Investigation finds 1,500+ inmates wrongly punished due to faulty drug tests

Faulty drug tests behind bars result in more than 1,500 inmates being punished while serving time.

The New York Inspector General shared the results Tuesday of an investigation her office has been working on since 2019. It found the Department of Corrections used a drug testing program on inmates that resulted in false positive results.

The Inspector General’s Office says the urine tests detected over the counter meds, like antacids, and also sugar substitutes.

"During our investigation, my office and I learned directly about the devastating consequences of these failures from brave New Yorkers who stood up for themselves and their loved ones under circumstances when the whole system seemed stacked against them,” said Inspector General Lucy Lang.

As a result, hundreds of inmates were punished, with 140 placed in solitary confinement.

Hear Lang read a statement from one of those inmates, by watching the video.