Emergency motion filed to transfer woman from Michigan prison over medical concerns
The family of Krystal Clark is taking legal action in hopes of moving their loved one out of the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Washtenaw County, Michigan.
This comes after a woman serving time there died in early July, the fourth in a span of just two months.
Clark's family says she's 11 months away from completing her sentence at the facility for a crime she committed in 2010. However, they fear that if she's there any longer, she might not make it to her release date alive.
The family filed a motion on Monday to have the Michigan Department of Corrections move Krystal to a facility that can appropriately address her numerous medical concerns while she serves the rest of her sentence.
"With the recent deaths, with her condition, if there was ever a time to have this filed, it is now," said attorney Shiraz Khan.
"This emergency motion is to have her transferred out of that facility into a medically safe facility," Khan added.
Last week, 62-year-old Dalephenia Jones died on July 2, becoming the fourth woman at the facility to die in recent months. Three other women, Rebecca Fackler, Khiara Howard and Ashley Hoath, died in May and June.
The motion filed by Clark's family cited her mold allergy, respiratory issues and ongoing infectious disease behind the request for special accommodations.
"Before it gets any worse, we're asking them to remove her from that facility and place her somewhere she can get the proper treatment that she needs to get better," said Clark's son, Larry Evans.
One woman who says she knew Clark while serving a sentence says the prison's conditions are unsafe.
"Over time, the condition of the facility and these pre-existing medical issues have collaborated and have caused these terminal ill diseases," said Dominica Simms.
Another woman who claims she was fired from the prison for speaking up about issues at the facility says the string of recent deaths doesn't surprise her based on her experience.
"I'm not shocked by it because nothing is being done. People come forward, and they get fired for coming forward. There's very few people in there that I trust," said former WHV mental health worker Andi Allen.
The Michigan Department of Corrections says independent environmental tests at the facility show no dangerous amounts of toxic or black mold. Officials also say Clark's condition does not warrant a transfer to another facility, as they claim to provide continuing medical care and treatment for her that's consistent with her medical needs.
