By Beth LeBlanc
The Detroit News
LANSING, Mich. — State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky and 29 other sitting members of the state Legislature are calling for the resignation of Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington, citing a history of problems at the state prisons under her leadership.
The letter Thursday from the lawmakers notes that in the past month alone, four deaths have occurred at state prisons that attracted public attention: An inmate stabbed to death in his cell, another who fell to his death and two women who died less than a week apart earlier this month at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility near Ypsilanti.
| READ NEXT: What will it take to fix staffing? Corrections1 readers weigh in on Mich. DOC’s safety initiative
It has become clear, said Pohutsky, D-Livonia, that “significant policy and culture change” are needed within the department.
“This cannot and will not be achieved with the departure of just one member of MDOC’s leadership,” Pohutsky wrote. “However, it has become abundantly clear to each of us that such change cannot and will not occur under your leadership as director.”
Pohutsky’s letter was signed by 30 lawmakers — 23 Democrats and seven Republicans — three former Democratic lawmakers and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit.
Washington has served as the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections since 2015, first taking up the position under Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder.
The MDOC did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said she has ordered the department “to conduct a swift, thorough, and transparent investigation” into the deaths at Huron Valley and plans to release the results publicly. Until then, Whitmer’s spokeswoman, Stacey LaRouche, said it would be irresponsible to take action before the investigation concludes.
“The health and safety of those under MDOC’s supervision must always be their top priority,” LaRouche said. “That’s why MDOC Director Washington is personally working out of the facility (Huron Valley) for the foreseeable future, increased the number of health care professionals on site, and will ensure health and safety standards are met.”
Among those who signed were state Rep. Jay DeBoyer, a Clay Township Republican who leads the House Oversight Committee. The committee, in February, heard testimony on the persistence of mold at Huron Valley, Michigan’s only prison for women, and how employees made bets over whether inmates there would commit suicide.
The issues escalated this month when Khaira Howard, 28, died May 14 in a medical observation cell at Huron Valley and Rebecca Fackler, 57, died on May 17.
In the Thursday letter, Pohutsky noted the deaths followed the Legislature’s “heightened scrutiny” of the state’s prison facilities, inmates’ access to health care and confinement conditions. Efforts to address the issues have been met with “a pattern of denial, dishonesty, obfuscation and obstruction by the department.”
“In the over a decade that you have served as Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections, concerns raised by inmates, their loved ones, and legislators alike have gone unaddressed,” Pohutsky wrote. “Inmates have died due to suicide, preventable health conditions, and dehydration. These individuals are placed in the care of the State, and we are all responsible for their health and safety.”
Roughly 33,000 individuals are in the custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections; Huron Valley houses about 1,800 women.
Staff Writers Kara Berg and Craig Mauger contributed.
----------
©2026 www.detroitnews.com. Visit at detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
