Two deaths within days of each other at Michigan’s only women’s prison have intensified scrutiny of medical care and conditions inside the Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, according to Michigan corrections officials, attorneys and lawmakers.
Michigan Department of Corrections confirmed that Rebecca Fackler, 57, died on Sunday, following the Thursday death of Khaira Howard, 28. The department said it does not suspect foul play and that both deaths remain under investigation. In both cases, the department said life-saving measures were performed by staff and by emergency medical services after they arrived.
The department’s confirmation arrived amid ongoing legal and political pressure on the agency charged with running the prison, particularly around access to medical treatment. Howard had been in a medical observation cell, according to the report, and her attorney said she had been eligible for parole since March 5 but was not enrolled in programming he said was required for release.
According to Howard’s attorney, David Champine, the failure to enroll Howard in the programming delayed her parole, which was rescheduled to the week of May 25. Champine said the deaths “did not occur in isolation,” arguing that reports submitted to the Legislature described a history of vacant health care positions within the Michigan Department of Corrections system.
Champine also said his firm received information that Howard recently had surgery and sought medical care, but that corrections staff prohibited her from going to a health care unit. Champine is representing more than 900 women in an ongoing civil rights litigation, according to the report. Prison records referenced in the coverage indicate that Howard was sent to prison last year for stealing credit cards from the mail and other financial crimes.
Prison records cited in the coverage also describe Fackler’s criminal sentence and earlier case history, and they provide context for how state custody intersected with the medical-care concerns raised by advocates and lawmakers. The report also notes that the deaths were the first two since the start of the year. It recalls that, in November, Jennifer Jean Wallace, 54, died of sepsis after what was later described as delayed medical care and an instance in which she received the wrong medication.
In an emailed statement, Jenni Riehle, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said the department takes safety and security for people in custody seriously and has “comprehensive processes and medical protocols for health emergencies.” Riehle said the department’s approach includes assessing patient health by qualified onsite staff, requesting outside emergency medical services if needed, and conducting life-saving measures.
The renewed focus on health care inside the facility has also been accompanied by long-running complaints about conditions at Huron Valley, including allegations involving mold. Scrutiny has extended beyond staffing and treatment access, with attention renewed after state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia, visited the prison in February and told the House Oversight Committee that she saw black spots in shower seams.
Pohutsky said her office received a letter in March from Howard alleging that she was required to clean toxic mold without proper safety equipment. Since that testimony, Pohutsky said her office receives letters daily from women voicing concerns. She told Bridge Michigan that the response to the deaths is indicative of broader issues within the department and at Huron Valley, and she called for Director Heidi Washington’s resignation, citing “cultural” and “systemic” issues.
Alongside the concerns about medical response, advocates have pressed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to grant clemency in a separate case tied to mold exposure allegations. The coverage cites calls for clemency for Krystal Clark, who advocates say is suffering from severe medical conditions tied to mold exposure, and it notes that photos shown during a February committee hearing showed a fuzzy black substance coming from her ears.
Riehle said an independent review found “expected results” typically found in large settings where individuals live and work, and she rejected claims suggesting dangerous, systemic, black or toxic mold conditions. The coverage says Clark has been incarcerated at the women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility since 2011 and that she was sentenced to 17-30 years; it also says she will be eligible for parole after May 9, 2027, while noting Whitmer’s constitutional authority to grant clemency.
The recent deaths come as Michigan lawmakers consider legislation aimed at improving how prisons communicate with families during medical emergencies. State Sen. Mary Cavanagh, D-Redford, introduced a bill this year requiring the department to provide people in custody emergency contact information and medical release forms so families can be notified more effectively. The bill is scheduled to be taken up on Thursday by the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.