A former corrections officer at Women's Huron Valley Correctional facility pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual acts with an inmate under his supervision.
Joshua Lee, 22, of Wyandotte, was sentenced by Judge Arianne E. Slay in Washtenaw County’s 22nd Circuit Court to serve 18 months to 15 years in prison.
Lee pleaded guilty to one count of Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct (State Prisoner).
The sentencing comes after a joint investigation by the Michigan State Police (MSP), which led to Lee being originally charged in November 2025 with four counts of Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct.
According to the Michigan Attorney General office, Lee used his position of power to exploit multiple prisoners while working at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti.
“No one is above the law, and everyone deserves safety from sexual abuse,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “My office is committed to prosecuting those who weaponize their authority to exploit the very people they are assigned to monitor and protect. Through the combined efforts of the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Michigan State Police, and prosecutors in my department, we have ensured that Mr. Lee will not only be held accountable but can no longer abuse his position.”
While Lee’s actions involved sexual penetration, he was sentenced under a Second-Degree statute due to a gap in state law.
Currently, Michigan law criminalizes sexual contact by corrections officers, but it lacks a specific statute addressing sexual penetration by prison staff. As a result, prosecutors are forced to charge both contact and penetration offenses under the same Second-Degree guidelines.
Attorney General Nessel is publicly calling on the Michigan Legislature to update state statutes so that First- and Third-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct charges explicitly cover sexual penetration by corrections staff, which would carry stiffer penalties and better reflect the severity of the crimes.
State Representative Laurie Pohutsky, a vocal advocate for inmates at the Huron Valley facility, echoed the need for legislative action and transparency. Pohutsky noted that sexual abuse behind bars is far more common than the public realize.
"It's extremely common," Pohutsky said. "I have spoken to a number of incarcerated people and some corrections officers who have talked about how this happens regularly. And it is not disclosed because the inmates are pressured into calling it consensual."
Pohutsky believes in order to prevent future offenses, there must be transparency from the correctional facilities.
"It starts by not trying to cover it up when it occurs, right?" Pohutsky said regarding the ongoing push for accountability. "I mean, that sounds pretty common sense and straightforward, but it's a major problem."
The Michigan Department of Corrections said it's committed to protecting those in its custody and eliminating staff misconduct.
"The Michigan Department of Corrections has a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate or predatory relationships between staff and those under our supervision," the department said in a statement. "The department reports every instance of this behavior to the Michigan State Police for investigation and will continue to do so to ensure that those responsible are held accountable."
MDOC officials added that they look forward to collaborating with Attorney General Nessel and legislative partners like Rep. Pohutsky to strengthen legal consequences for corrections staff who abuse their power.
