Internal affairs division looking into three inmate deaths at Michigan prison

An internal affairs division from the Michigan Department of Corrections is looking into the circumstances of three women who died this spring at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility. 

MDOC director Heidi Washington provided that information in a three-page letter dated June 18, intended as a response to a letter Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-District 6, sent to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

The correspondence is among discussions that have become public about conditions at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti. Huron Valley is the only state prison in Michigan for female inmates. Those statements included a letter signed in May by over three dozen current and former lawmakers, demanding the immediate resignation of Washington as the department's director. 

While Dingell was not part of that joint letter, she did send her own correspondence on June 8 to the governor, asking several specific questions and saying, "Concerns have been raised repeatedly by women in custody, their families, advocates, attorneys, medical professionals, and the public. Too many continue to report that the underlying problems remain unsolved. It is essential that you give this issue your immediate attention and take urgent action to address the serious issues threatening the safety of these women under MDOC supervision." 

Washington has been in her current role since 2015 and has worked for the agency since 1998. 

In her response to the Dingell query, Washington detailed the number of prisoner grievances filed in recent years, outlined the cleaning and sanitation schedules, and explained the procedures for inmates to access medical care for a known health condition or during an emergency. 

Washington also said investigations are active into the deaths of Rebecca Fackler, Khiara Howard and Ashley Hoath. 

"As all incarcerated individuals have access to healthcare services at the facility, an element of the investigations is reviewing interactions in the period prior to the deaths to ensure that all policies were properly followed, including by healthcare staff. We ask that the public wait for the investigation results to be released, as there appear to be various and at times conflicting public narratives about these cases that may not be supported by the actual evidence," the director said. 

"The Michigan MDOC, its employees, and partners, understand the significant responsibility placed upon us to operate safe, humane, and effective correctional facilities that are focused on the long-term positive outcomes of those placed under the Department's jurisdiction," Washington wrote. 

The above video originally aired on June 9, 2026.