LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Federal and state lawmakers are demanding immediate intervention and leadership changes within the Michigan Department of Corrections following the unexpected death of Ashley Hoath, a 36-year-old Hillsdale County woman.
Hoath died on June 6, after being rushed from the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility near Ypsilanti to an Ann Arbor hospital.
Her passing marks the third sudden inmate death at the state’s only women’s prison in less than a month, following the mid-May deaths of 28-year-old Khaira Howard, , and 57-year Rebecca Fackler.
The string of fatalities has intensified systemic scrutiny over the facility, which faces mounting allegations of severe medical neglect, toxic black mold, extreme overcrowding, and structural degradation.
More than 30 current and former bipartisan legislators have signed a letter calling for the resignation of MDOC Director Heidi Washington, while federal representatives like Debbie Dingell have launched formal inquiries into the prison’s safety protocols.
In response to the growing political and public pressure, Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered a swift, transparent investigation using an independent medical examiner, though department officials have urged the public to withhold speculation until official results are released.
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