Federal and state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to intervene at Michigan鈥檚 only women鈥檚 prison after in less than a month died Saturday, intensifying scrutiny over conditions and medical care at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
Ashley Hoath of Hillsdale County was rushed to Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, about 15 minutes from the prison, where she was pronounced dead, Jenni Riehle, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections, confirmed in an email.
Earlier Saturday, an officer had noticed Hoath wasn鈥檛 feeling well and promptly escorted her to a healthcare unit within the prison, where medical staff determined she needed to be sent to the hospital, according to Riehle.
The 36-year-old鈥檚 death is the third inmate death since May 13. Khaira Howard, 28, died on May 13 and Rebecca Fackler, 57, died on May 17.
The deaths have prompted for Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington to resign.
And now, fellow Democrat and US Rep. Debbie Dingell is urging Whitmer to 鈥渄irect every appropriate effort鈥� to address concerns 鈥渞aised repeatedly by women in custody, their families, advocates, attorneys, medical professionals, and the public.鈥�
鈥淭oo many continue to report that the underlying problems remain unsolved,鈥� Dingell wrote in to Whitmer. 鈥淚t is essential that you give this issue your immediate attention and take urgent action to address the serious issues threatening the safety of these women under MDOC supervision.鈥�
The governor鈥檚 office responded by repeating a statement first released in May, following the deaths of Rebecca Fackler and Khaira Howard:
鈥淭he health and safety of those under MDOC鈥檚 supervision must always be their top priority,鈥� said Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy.
鈥淭he governor has directed MDOC to conduct a swift, thorough, and transparent investigation. This process will include a careful assessment by an independent medical examiner. When this process is complete, we will release the results of the investigation. Families deserve to have the answers they need during the grieving process.鈥�
In a separate statement, Washington said MDOC is 鈥渨orking aggressively to investigate the circumstances that led up to Ms. Hoath being sent to the hospital.鈥�
鈥淲e ask the public, out of respect for the family, to refrain from speculation without the facts, while investigations are conducted. I can promise you that the community will have answers to what caused this death, and the ones that have preceded it.鈥�
Riehle, the MDOC spokesperson, said the department is working to 鈥渆xpedite the investigations into the recent deaths鈥� at Huron Valley.
鈥淒uring a briefing held earlier today, legislators and stakeholders were informed that the department has been in discussions with our legal team regarding the request to issue the findings of the mold testing that was conducted at WHV as part of ongoing litigation,鈥� she said in a statement. 鈥淭he department has requested a summary of the findings from the third-party expert who conducted the tests and the department will release them as soon as they are received.鈥�
Bridge Michigan requested the report from the most recent environmental testing under the Freedom of Information Act on May 28. The department denied the request on June 4, saying the records are are exempt from disclosure due to attorney-client privilege.
Three deaths
The three recent inmate deaths at the women鈥檚 prison are an unusually high number. There were only and , according to critical incident reports submitted to the state legislature by the MDOC.
State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia, who has been leading calls for action at the prison, said she was at the correctional facility on Friday evening to visit another inmate and was notified of Hoath鈥檚 death Saturday afternoon.
鈥淭he conditions of confinement, inadequate access to medical care, and reported retaliation against those women brave enough to speak out are intolerable,鈥� she wrote in a
鈥淭he state鈥檚 response has been woefully inadequate. Legislative oversight alone is not enough. Michigan鈥檚 correctional facilities are in a crisis that demands concerted action by the Department and the attention of our governor.鈥�
In the case of both Fackler and Howard, the department confirmed the women died after life-saving measures were taken by prison staff as well as emergency medical technicians who had arrived on the scene.
David Champine, whose firm is representing women in a related lawsuit, said he received reports that Fackler recently had surgery and sought medical care but the corrections staff prohibited her from going to a health care unit.
Prison records indicate Fackler was serving 3 to 20 years for home invasion in 2000, then charged with four counts of assault at the prison in 2012.
Howard had been in a medical observation cell. Records indicate she was sent to prison last year for stealing credit cards from the mail and other financial crimes
Her attorney said she had been eligible for parole since March 5, but the department failed to enroll her in the programming required for release, delaying her parole, which had been rescheduled to the week of May 25.
Shaquilla DeShields, Howard鈥檚 mother, expressed concern that her daughter was not receiving her schizophrenia medication. During their last video visit on April 30, DeShields said Howard told her she was being held in observation and that they wouldn鈥檛 let her out.
Howard 鈥渃ried out for help鈥� and they ignored her, DeShields recently told Bridge. 鈥淲ould they do that if it were their child?鈥�
The state previously said it did not suspect foul play in Howard or Fackler鈥檚 deaths.
Calls for resignation
The Huron Valley Correctional Facility has faced months of scrutiny over living conditions, including overcrowding, poor ventilation and allegations of toxic mold.
Even before the third death at the women鈥檚 prison this weekend, state lawmakers were calling for Washington to resign over conditions at the facility and other issues.
鈥淪ignificant policy and culture change must occur鈥� within the department, but it has 鈥渂ecome abundantly clear to each of us that such change cannot and will not occur under your leadership as director,鈥� Pohutsky wrote in a to Washington that was signed by more than 30 current and former lawmakers from both major political parties.
鈥淚n the over a decade that you have served as Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections 鈥� inmates have died due to suicide, preventable health conditions and dehydration,鈥� the letter continued.
On Saturday evening, Democratic US Senate candidate and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed called the situation at the women鈥檚 prison a 鈥� 鈥� and said he thinks 鈥淗eidi Washington must be held accountable and removed.鈥�
Advocates and lawmakers have urged Gov.Whitmer to grant clemency to another inmate, Krystal Clark, arguing she is suffering from severe medical issues tied to mold exposure at the correctional facility.
Clark, who has repeatedly complained about mold since 2016, tested positive in 2023 for Aspergillus niger 鈥� a common black mold 鈥� and other bacteria linked to mold exposure, according to obtained by Bridge.
The Department of Corrections has disputed claims of dangerous mold conditions at the prison, saying an independent review found typical results for a large residential facility, though a recent report noted ventilation problems and failing air circulators.
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