Lansing — State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky and 29 other sitting members of the state Legislature are calling for the resignation of Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington, citing a history of problems at the state prisons under her leadership.
The letter Thursday from the lawmakers notes that in the past month alone, four deaths have occurred at state prisons that attracted public attention: An inmate stabbed to death in his cell, another who fell to his death and two women who died less than a week apart earlier this month at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility near Ypsilanti.
It has become clear, said Pohutsky, D-Livonia, that “significant policy and culture change” are needed within the department.
“This cannot and will not be achieved with the departure of just one member of MDOC’s leadership,” Pohutsky wrote. “However, it has become abundantly clear to each of us that such change cannot and will not occur under your leadership as director.”
Pohutsky’s letter was signed by 30 lawmakers — 23 Democrats and seven Republicans — three former Democratic lawmakers as well as Democratic Detroit U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, later Friday sent out a separate statement demanding Washington’s immediate resignation.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said she has ordered the department “to conduct a swift, thorough, and transparent investigation” into the deaths at Huron Valley and plans to release the results publicly. Until then, Whitmer’s spokeswoman, Stacey LaRouche, said it would be irresponsible to take action before the investigation concludes.
“The health and safety of those under MDOC’s supervision must always be their top priority,” LaRouche said. “That’s why MDOC Director Washington is personally working out of the facility (Huron Valley) for the foreseeable future, increased the number of health care professionals on site, and will ensure health and safety standards are met.”
Washington has served as the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections since 2015, first taking up the position under Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder. Whitmer, the Democratic successor, kept Washington on her team.
The department argued in a statement Friday that Washington, over the last decade, has reduced the prison population, modernized operations and facilities, and achieved lower recidivism rates for inmates returning to society.
“Director Washington has been onsite with health care leadership at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility to provide oversight in day-to-day operations while investigations are underway,” Michigan Department of Corrections spokeswoman Jenni Riehle said. “Additional experienced clinical leadership from across the state have also been called to the facility to provide assistance during this time.”
Among those who signed the Thursday letter were state Rep. Jay DeBoyer, a Clay Township Republican who leads the House Oversight Committee. The committee heard testimony in February on the persistence of mold at Huron Valley, Michigan’s only prison for women, and how employees made bets over whether inmates there would commit suicide.
The issues escalated this month when Khaira Howard, 28, died May 14 in a medical observation cell at Huron Valley, and Rebecca Fackler, 57, died on May 17.
Howard’s mother, Shaquillia DeShields, told The Detroit News on Thursday that her daughter, who had schizophrenia, had been complaining about her health for weeks before her death, according to other inmates. Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition in which someone can experience psychosis with hallucinations and delusions.
DeShields said other women at the prison called her and family attorney Tim Holland to say Howard was screaming for help because her chest was hurting, and that someone was with her, but they left for about 40 minutes. When they came back, Howard was unresponsive, DeShields said she was told.
Riehle denied that prisoners are denied access to medical care.
“All incarcerated individuals are provided a consistent community standard of care which includes access to regular medical assessments, outside specialists, and emergency services,” she said in a statement.
In the Thursday letter, Pohutsky noted the deaths followed the Legislature’s “heightened scrutiny” of the state’s prison facilities, inmates’ access to health care and confinement conditions. Efforts to address the issues have been met with “a pattern of denial, dishonesty, obfuscation and obstruction by the department.”
“In the over a decade that you have served as Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections, concerns raised by inmates, their loved ones, and legislators alike have gone unaddressed,” Pohutsky wrote. “Inmates have died due to suicide, preventable health conditions, and dehydration. These individuals are placed in the care of the State, and we are all responsible for their health and safety.”
Roughly 33,000 individuals are in the custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections; Huron Valley houses about 1,800 women.
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, a Democrat, defended Washington in a Friday statement, arguing she was “one of the nation’s leading experts in corrections” and cares deeply about inmates and corrections officers alike. He argued that her removal before an investigation into the deaths would be “irresponsible.”
“Public safety is important,” Getting said. “So is making informed decisions. Political gamesmanship just gets in the way of doing what’s right.”
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Kara Berg and Craig Mauger contributed.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: 30 Michigan lawmakers call for resignation of state prison director
Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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