An inmate of the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Washtenaw County died Thursday, marking the fourth death of an incarcerated woman housed at the facility in less than two months.
Dalephenia Jones, 62, died at Trinity Health Hospital on July 2, nearly two weeks after being transported to the emergency room for what hospital staff believe was a cardiac event. Jones had been serving a life sentence since 1994 following a first-degree murder conviction.
Democratic state Representative Laurie Pohutsky has been an advocate for the inmates housed at the Huron Valley correctional facility — Michigan's only women's prison — specifically urging the governor to take immediate action to improve living conditions within the facility. She stated that although Jones ultimately received outside care at Trinity Health Hospital, the healthcare within Michigan's correctional facilities needs to improve.
"My colleagues and I have consistently been raising the alarm that healthcare inside Michigan’s prisons is severely lacking," Pohutsky said. "It’s critical that MDOC [the Michigan Department of Corrections] ensure those in their custody are receiving appropriate healthcare before they have an emergency event, which per their own communication with me is not consistently happening."
Jones' passing follows three other recent deaths at the facility:
- Khaira Howard, 28, died on May 13
- Rebecca Fackler, 57, died on May 17
- Ashley Hoath, 36, died on June 6
Howard died days before she was scheduled to be released on parole.
While all of these cases are listed on the Michigan Department of Corrections "transparency" website, none of the women have had their official causes of death confirmed.
In a statement, the MDOC noted that Jones had "multiple documented chronic medical conditions" that could have contributed to an increased risk for the cardiac event that occurred on June 19, the day she was taken to the emergency room. Officials added that she was being offered consistent medical treatment for her conditions within the facility as part of a chronic care plan.
The MDOC stated it will investigate the timeline of events following Jones' transfer to the emergency room and will share its findings once the investigation is complete.
