MDOC reports fourth death at Women’s Huron Valley prison in under two months

Dalephenia Jones, a 62-year-old woman who was incarcerated at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, died on Thursday, according to a release from the Michigan Department of Corrections. She is the fourth individual from Women’s Huron Valley to have died in less than two months.

The Department of Corrections noted that Jones was taken to the emergency room on June 19 after officers found her conscious but in need of medical assistance, at which point it was determined that she was having a cardiac arrest and in need of surgery. She remained in the care of hospital staff after that procedure and passed away 14 days later at Trinity Health Hospital. 

“As this was an unexpected death, the department will be investigating the events preceding Ms. Jones being sent to the hospital and will provide information on the result of those investigations when they are complete,” the Department of Corrections press release said. They noted that Jones had multiple documented chronic medical conditions, some of which have the potential to increase the risk for cardiac events.

Jones’ death follows the deaths of Rebecca Fackler, Khaira Howard and Ashley Hoath that occurred at the facility between mid-May and early June. In the wake of those three deaths, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor), whose district includes the facility, sent a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in June calling for immediate action and answers from state officials about conditions about the facility, which is Michigan’s only women’s prison. 

“Another death at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility is concerning to everyone. It appears her death resulted from serious chronic medical complications. The fact remains that four women have died at the facility since May,” Dingell said in a statement about Jones’ death. “It’s important that we follow the facts and that information is shared openly and quickly so our community has confidence that women in the State’s custody are treated with dignity and humanity. Our communities are watching and demanding answers.”

In the letter, Dingell asked Whitmer a series of questions, including about testing for environmental and safety hazards and about procedures in place for when an incarcerated individual is in need of medical care. In a response from Heidi Washington, the director of the Department of Corrections, Washington provided information about sanitation and safety procedures in the prison. 

“We are not aware of any specific threats to the health of those at the facility, but it remains important that health services are adequately funded at all MDOC facilities, that the MDOC is able to continually hire qualified healthcare employees for key roles, and that necessary maintenance and upgrades of the facility’s infrastructure are not deferred due to a lack of adequate funding,” she wrote.  

Women’s Huron Valley has been the subject of intense scrutiny — not just by Dingell, who toured the facility in 2023 and, in response to Washington’s letter, posted on Facebook, “Concerns have been consistently raised by incarcerated women, their families, and advocates. And after three deaths in less than a month, I pressed the state for answers and accountability and will be asking more questions.”

The prison has faced two federal lawsuits, one alleging the presence of toxic mold in the facility that was harming the health of inmates. That lawsuit remains in federal district court. The other suit, which was dismissed in October 2025, sought financial compensation for female inmates who said that they were filmed during strip searches.

Conditions at the prison have also drawn scrutiny from state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. At a February hearing of the Michigan House Oversight Committee, state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) detailed cases of mistreatment and a lack of medical care being provided to those incarcerated at the facility, as well as a prevalent mold issue. 

Pohutsky told the story in the hearing of one woman incarcerated at the facility, Krystal Clark, who had visible mold growing in her ears, and had developed other health issues, including a facial droop and severe swelling in her arms, while incarcerated. Pohutsky said another woman, Jennifer Wallace, died of sepsis in November 2025 after her tooth became infected and the infection traveled to her heart. Her autopsy also showed that she was developing pneumonia, which her family suspects may have been caused by mold at the prison.

“I’m aware that Ms. Jones was receiving care at Trinity Health Hospital, and I’m grateful for that,” Pohutsky said in response to the news of Jones’ death. “However, my colleagues and I have consistently been raising the alarm that healthcare inside Michigan’s prisons is severely lacking. It’s critical that MDOC ensure those in their custody are receiving appropriate healthcare before they have an emergency event, which per their own communication with me is not consistently happening.”

Thursday’s press release said that Department of Corrections leadership, as well as healthcare leadership, have been regularly onsite at the facility providing oversight.

“The Michigan Department of Corrections takes the health and safety of those under our supervision seriously and remains committed to transparently and rapidly providing new information as it becomes available,” the department added.