My name is Quiana Lovett, and my number is 779728. And I’m calling with issues regarding the overcrowding here at Women’s Huron Valley correctional facility.
Now, yesterday on C-SPAN, there was a hour worth of play regarding the good-time status for the federal prison system. Now, here in Michigan, we have no good-time system whatsoever. Both of the bills are both fitting into the Judiciary Committee.
Within this facility at Women’s Huron Valley, staff is at an all time low. The prison is overcrowded. During the surge of COVID-19 just recently, there was over 800 women that tested positive for Corona. They had one in five units that housed people that were tested, that were positive for COVID, double bunks. They had a unit that was closed years ago by the state of Michigan, by Lansing, and they still housed women living in there.
And at some point, it is time for governor Gretchen, lieutenant governor Gillcrest, to open up their eyes to see the real problem that is going on within Women’s Huron Valley.
It is to the point to where there are probation officers, parole officers, and being utilized as staff in the facility which they are not trained to work in a prison. So at some point it’s time for the lawmakers, the senators, the House of Representatives, and our state legislators to finally open up their eyes and recognize that something needs to be done.
They keep talking about the money, the money, the money. But if you released women from this facility, tis is the only women’s facility in the state of Michigan. Release us, and you will see that the recidivism rate for any type of violent offenders is 1%. But they continue to give people that commit nonviolent crimes chance after chance after chance and they continue to re-offend, re-offend.
But the ladies like myself that have done 10, 12, 15, 20 years, we’re sitting in here with absolutely nothing to do. So at some point there needs to be a change within this prison system, within Michigan Department of Corrections, and as well as within specifically for Women’s Huron Valley. And I pray and I hope that this reaches out to all the ears out there in America, specifically governor Gretchen Whitmer and your committee.
Thank you, and God bless you.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
