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Dear
The conditions at Women’s Huron “Death Valley” (WHV) Facility are dangerous, dirty, and deadly.
In the wake of a third death this month at WHV in Ypsilanti Michigan, scholar J’Mauri Jackson has released a powerful new report that puts the incarcerated women at WHV at the helm. What they reveal is impossible to ignore.
Says Jackson: “I discovered reports about a long-ignored scabies outbreak, women being housed in inadequate conditions, class action lawsuits based on alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and women tragically dying by suicide, among other issues. After discovering Prison Radio, I quickly realized that media and legal websites only skimmed the surface of women’s experiences at WHV. Describing these stories as disturbing and horrific would be an understatement.”
Jackson used Prison Radio’s Women’s Huron Valley special collection to gather direct testimony from the impacted women. In her research, incarcerated women emerge as witnesses, analysts, advocates, and survivors. In a moment where the treatment of incarcerated women has sparked outrage amongst community groups and lawmakers in Michigan, their voices expose the human cost of a system that responds to vulnerability with punishment instead of care.
“I want to remind readers that this report features real individuals whose lived experiences often surpass what many can comprehend. It was imperative to include their stories, photos, voices, and creative works, and to work alongside those featured in the report, to affirm their humanity and dignity rather than contribute to a system that often denies both.”
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