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Prison is meant to serve as a punishment, not a death sentence executed by black mold, abuse and indifference. Even though the state of Michigan was the first state to abolish<\/a> the death penalty in 1847, in the Women\u2019s Huron Valley Correctional Facility <\/a>\u2014 the state\u2019s only prison exclusively for women \u2014 people still suffer in the shadows. Poor conditions inside WHV, such as health and privacy violations, have led<\/a> to the gradual deterioration of inmates\u2019 health and, in some cases<\/a>, death.<\/p>\n Michigan needs to do better by ensuring its correctional facilities, especially WHV, are up to code. In April 2025, Survivors Speak<\/a>, a nonprofit organization, hosted<\/a> an event at the University of Michigan to advocate for exposing the facility\u2019s wrongdoings and wrongful convictions. Assembling concerned community members, formerly incarcerated women and their families in the basement of the Central Campus Classroom Building, the group listened to WHV inmate Krystal Clark\u2019s anguished voice pour out of a speakerphone, describing the conditions within the facility.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clark<\/a>, a 41-year-old mother of four, has been incarcerated<\/a> since Feb. 9, 2011. She is serving time for armed robbery, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and second-degree home invasion. Clark is currently held at WHV, where poor conditions have severely affected her health.<\/p>\n In the few minutes she had to speak, Clark shared how her health has progressively worsened at WHV, including the development of facial paralysis, a symptom of unchecked black mold, which she has repeatedly voiced in other commentaries<\/a>. Black mold can cause respiratory system issues and allergic reactions, which, combined with a lack of hygienic practices in a prison environment, can lead to serious health issues. Inmates are also forced to scrub walls with bleach<\/a> before health inspections and state representative visits, hiding visible mold while the underlying danger remains, a practice condemned<\/a> by the Environmental Protection Agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n