4th inmate at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility dies since May, Michigan officials say
A fourth inmate since May has died at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Institute, the Michigan Department of Corrections said.
Dalephenia Jones, 62, was the fourth inmate in that prison in Ypsilanti to have died in recent weeks. Huron Valley is the only women's prison in Michigan.
Jones died July 2 at Trinity Health Hospital, the corrections department said in its announcement.
Corrections officers noticed on June 19 that Jones was conscious but appeared to need medical assistance, the agency said. She was taken to the facility's health care area, where medical staff requested EMS. An ambulance then arrived to take Jones to Trinity Health's emergency department.
"The hospital determined that Ms. Jones was having a cardiac event and she was taken into surgery after arrival at the hospital. Ms. Jones remained under care of hospital staff following the procedure and passed away 14 days after being admitted to the hospital," officials said.
"Ms. Jones had multiple documented chronic medical conditions for which she was being offered medical treatment as part of a chronic care plan. Some of these chronic conditions have the potential to increase the risk for cardiac events."
Jones was sentenced in 1994 in Wayne County to a life sentence for felony murder.
"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 agency said.
"The department continues to take meaningful actions at Women's Huron Valley Correctional, and other facilities, to improve the health and safety of incarcerated individuals," state officials said in a statement. "MDOC leadership and healthcare leadership have been regularly onsite at WHV providing oversight."
The Huron Valley facility houses about 1,700 inmates.
The deaths of Rebecca Fackler, Khiara Howard and Ashley Hoath this spring sparked public discussions about conditions at Huron Valley. About three dozen current and former lawmakers signed a letter in May calling for the immediate resignation of the agency's director, Heidi Washington. Former inmates have also voiced their concerns about the facility.
