Families and Advocates Protest Michigan Women’s Prison Over Recent Deaths and Health Claims

A crowd of family members, advocates, and supporters assembled outside the Michigan Department of Corrections headquarters to call for scrutiny of Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility after five female inmates died since May. Izora Clark, mother of Krystal Clark, described visible mold in her daughter’s hair and ears, a claim echoed in an emergency legal filing that led to Krystal’s transfer to Duane Waters Health Center.

The corrections department rejected the mold accusations, pointing to a private contractor’s environmental report that found no dangerous mold levels. State officials noted that one recent death, Dasie Forbes, was expected due to chronic illnesses and therefore would not be investigated, while another, Ashley Hoath, was ruled a suicide. The protest also targeted MDOC Director Heidi Washington and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, urging the release of severely ill prisoners and greater transparency about prison conditions.