Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington is defending the oversight of the state’s women’s prison after three deaths occurred within a month of each other. US Rep. Debbie Dingell had urged Governor Whitmer to intervene, citing alarming reports of conditions and treatment at the facility.

Investigations and Responses

Washington wrote a letter to Dingell claiming that her department has established itself as a national leader in corrections and that prisoner grievances are common. She also provided information on the number of health care-related grievances filed by inmates, which have remained flat over the last five years.

The state did not provide the total number of deaths at the facility over the past decade but noted that the prison houses a diverse population, including women serving life and other lengthy sentences, as well as those with complex medical needs. The department has repeatedly denied the presence of dangerous, systemic, black or toxic mold at the facility, citing an indoor air quality report that found airborne mold concentrations consistently remained within normal parameters.

Dingell had requested nearly a dozen pieces of information, including the number of grievances filed by inmates, how often the prison is tested for mold, and the number of deaths at the facility over the last decade. Washington responded, stating that all death investigations are conducted by an experienced investigator from the department’s internal affairs division, who collects evidence, interviews witnesses, and works with outside agencies when necessary.

Original reporting: BridgeDetroit — read the source article.