Ann Arbor Times

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) last Friday toured the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility and Woodland Center Correctional Facility to learn more about the rehabilitation, career, and educational resources and medical care at the facilities, and hear from inmates about their experiences. Michigan has the fourth lowest recidivism rate in the nation at 23.6%. 
 
“The Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, the only facility in our state that houses women prisoners, serves a diverse and complicated population of many different women whose sentences range from less than a year to life. The facility offers opportunities for many inmates to advance their education and career, preparing them for successful and productive re-entry upon their release,” Dingell said. “During this visit we talked about health care, mental health, and the vocational program. I met with women who were working in cosmetology, braille translation, and food technology, and many other programs. We had honest and candid conversations about the importance and availability of health care and mental health services.” 
 
“Woodland is a specialized prison that provides a wide variety of therapies for prisoners experiencing serious mental health challenges, creating an environment where inmates can get the treatment they need in a supportive setting. I was struck by the wide range of important services provided at Woodland,” Dingell continued. “I was impressed with their facility to treat patients who require weekly dialysis, and their other health care facilities. I will continue to work with MDOC to ensure inmates are treated humanely and facilities include strong programs for rehabilitation and job training to allow prisoners to have productive opportunities upon release.”
 
View photos from the visits here. 

The Women's Huron Valley (WHV) Correctional Facility is the only correctional facility in Michigan for all women prisoners. The WHV Vocational Village opened in 2021 and is the first of its kind for women. The program offers training in high-demand trades: carpentry, cosmetology, 3D printing, robotics, truck driving, food technology and horticulture. Training in forklift operation is also offered as a stackable credential. All trades are gender specific to the female population to assist in Offender Success. WHV also provides comprehensive women’s health services including OBGYN care, annual mammograms and other preventative care, and more.

The Woodland Center Correctional (WCC) Facility houses the Inpatient Mental Health and Crisis Stabilization Program for Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). An infirmary and clinic provide medical services for all prisoners being housed at WCC. The Crisis Stabilization Program is a referral-based program for prisoners experiencing a serious mental health crisis. The intention is to diagnose, treat and stabilize the prisoners. Individualized treatment plans are utilized to deliver optimal mental health care in an inpatient setting. WCC also provides comprehensive medical treatment with dialysis treatments up to 6 days a week, weekly labs, advanced substance abuse treatment, and more. 

Original source can be found here.