House Oversight Committee Chair Jay DeBoyer today issued the following statement after a hearing that examined issues at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti and within the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Information in the hearing disclosed instances and whistleblower complaints regarding injuries and illnesses not being addressed, medications not being given appropriately, and alarmingly unsanitary conditions:

“What we heard in testimony and the circumstances surrounding these problems are very emotional. I want to thank one of our colleagues on this committee, state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, for providing us with information on inmate health care, conditions with the facility and clear missteps. I also want to thank those who testified to provide background on problems with MDOC. True government oversight knows no political affiliation, and our panel is committed to working in a bipartisan way to uncover truth, ensure state government and its departments are operating efficiently, and develop policy solutions for problems. We will continue doing this vital work for the people.

“Incarcerated people are still people. When Michigan says an individual is going to be incarcerated and in the state’s custody, the state then has a responsibility to ensure that person’s well-being. That’s the bottom line. The testimony we heard showed instances where this facility fell short. It’s my understanding that problems have persisted at this facility for decades. Why has it been allowed to continue while we appropriate billions of dollars to MDOC in the budget?

“While an overwhelming number of MDOC workers do their jobs professionally and with grace, we need to hear from leaders at MDOC about unacceptable conduct that has reportedly taken place. These answers are critical to making sure tragedies like what we heard about today don’t happen again.”