WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Sara Edwards, a former inmate at Michigan’s Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, says she was “heartbroken, but not surprised” to learn of the death of inmate Rebecca Fackler, citing what she described as poor conditions and delays in medical care at the prison.
Edwards, who was incarcerated at the facility from 2014 to 2019, said she met Fackler in 2016 and remained in contact after her release.
She described Fackler as someone dealing with addiction and mental health struggles but who still tried to support others.
“She reached a lot of people. It wasn’t just her addiction she was fighting, she was fighting to be the stronger person that she knew she could be,” Edwards said.
Fackler is one of two inmates who died at the prison within days of each other.
Flood Law Firm, which said it is investigating both deaths, alleged that corrections staff refused to allow Fackler to go into the health care unit when she sought medical care.
The firm said Fackler was diabetic and had recently undergone surgery.
Edwards echoes the concerns raised by lawmakers, advocates, and inmates about access to healthcare and exposure to mold inside the facility.
She described spoiled food, an instance where her unit once lost heat, and long wait times when patients had to seek care outside the prison.
Edwards said Fackler told her through the prison’s electronic messaging system that she was waiting to see a specialist about a swollen lymph node in her lung and later said it took about six months to get that appointment.
She said during her incarceration, a shower in her unit was shut down due to what she described as black mold and ceiling damage.
“The entire corner of the ceiling had actually started to fall in, and it was covered in black mold, so they just shut down that one shower,” Edwards said.
The Michigan Department of Corrections disputed claims that the prison has dangerous mold, saying recent environmental testing by an independent, certified expert found results “consistent with expected” findings in large living and working settings. The department said claims of “dangerous, systemic, black or toxic mold conditions are simply false.”
In a statement, the department said all incarcerated people have access to regular medical assessments, outside specialists, and emergency services, and that it follows protocols for health emergencies.
It also said it is conducting a mortality review, an independent medical examiner’s autopsy, and an administrative investigation that includes a review of procedural compliance.
Director Heidi Washington and health care leadership are making on-site rounds at the facility, the department said, and additional clinical leadership has been sent to provide assistance during the investigation.
The department urged caution against speculation before investigations are complete, saying it can harm loved ones and victims.
Edwards said changes at the prison are long overdue.
“Regardless of what landed any of us there, we’re still human beings, and we deserve basic human rights,” Edwards said.