LANSING — A 36-year-old woman died early on Saturday, June 6 at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility near Ypsilanti, in what was the third sudden death at the prison in just over three weeks.
The Michigan Department of Corrections had not yet confirmed the name of the latest inmate to die at the women’s prison by early afternoon on June 6.
It’s the third sudden death at the prison since May 13.
An officer encountered the inmate early in the morning of June 6 and had the woman moved to health care after the woman said she felt ill and had been sick to her stomach, Kyle Kaminski, the MDOC’s legislative liaison, said in an email to state lawmakers that was shared with the Detroit Free Press.
The woman, who remained conscious, was then transferred to the emergency ward of a community hospital, where her condition deteriorated and she was pronounced dead despite life-saving measures, Kaminski said in the email.
An autopsy will be conducted and there were no signs of foul play, Kaminski said.
Sharee Miller, an inmate who lives in the same unit as the woman who died, said in a June 6 phone call to the Free Press that the woman had been asking other inmates for aspirin and had spent so much time in the restroom that other inmates had repeatedly asked officers to check on her wellbeing. It took nearly three hours for that to happen and when officers responded, they handcuffed the woman to a wheelchair before taking her to health care, Miller said.
Everyone in the close-knit unit is extremely upset, Miller said.
Jenni Riehle, an MDOC spokeswoman, did not immediately respond June 6 to a request for a response to what Miller said.
Kaminski said in his June 6 email that a mental health professional “is available in the housing unit today for women dealing with this loss and will be back in the unit again tomorrow to provide mental health support for those impacted by this death.”
Investigations into the two earlier deaths continue, MDOC, Riehle told the Free Press June 5.
Rebecca Fackler, 57, died May 17.
Fackler’s death came just four days after the death of 28-year-old inmate Khaira Howard, and as the prison was under intense scrutiny over living conditions at the facility, which has a history of overcrowding, illicit drugs, leaking roofs, violence, and complaints about poor ventilation and toxic mold.
“I have very serious concerns about the fact that we are not even through the investigations with the previous two deaths and now we have a third,” said State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia, a member of the House Oversight Committee who has been investigating the women’s prison and the MDOC.
Pohutsky, who was at the women’s prison on the evening of June 5 meeting with another inmate, said June 6 that while more details about the latest death are needed, it shows that “legislative oversight alone is not going to solve this problem,” and “there needs to be a concerted and coordinated effort between yes, the Legislature, but also the department and the governor’s office … to make sure that these things don’t happen.”
Pohutsky said she believes having fewer people in state custody would help to address current issues with medical care and living conditions and she also would like to see a similar level of scrutiny extended to the MDOC’s men’s facilities.
“This is not in every instance a problem that is unique to Women’s Huron Valley,” Pohutsky said. “Mistreatment, aggressive retaliation, lack of access to humane conditions and health care, that is present across the board.”
Pohutsky is one of 30 state lawmakers from both political parties to call for the resignation of MDOC Director Heidi Washington, who has headed the department since 2015.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Inmate, 36, dies in 3rd recent sudden death at Michigan women’s prison
Reporting by Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
