6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS RACIAL JUSTICE Support Krystal Clark LARA DENDEL Groundcover contributor Krystal Clark is incarcerated at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti. From the website freekrystal.com, “Krystal Clark is a 39-year-old mother of four, devoted friend and caring community member.” She has been incarcerated for the last 13 years, and is suffering severe health problems due to an allergy to mold which is present in the prison. Her health issues are so serious that she is slowly being killed by the conditions in the prison. Due to her speaking out about this injustice, she is being harassed by Michigan Department of Corrections and mocked by employees and other inmates. In addition, the prison has been messing with her mail. She has been seen by doctors within MDOC, but the diagnoses that the doctors give her do not make it into her medical file, and if a doctor says her issues are due to the mold, she never sees that doctor again. At the moment, she is in need of hearing aids, which she was told she would receive, but they are now delaying her getting them by claiming they need to run other tests first. Krystal is dealing with a large amount of pain every day, with no relief. In 2019 Krystal was among a group of women to file a two-count civil rights action against the MDOC, alleging the prison is full of dangerous conditions (leaky roofs, haphazard retrofitting, inoperable windows and more) which have made it a breeding ground for fungi and molds. Doctors within MDOC will not include mold as a cause of their health issues in their files, but when the women have been lucky enough to see an outside doctor, mold is clearly listed as the cause of their health ailments. This case was dismissed by the court because the judge said that there’s no established rights of prisoners to be free from mold. This means that even if a doctor finds that mold is the cause of their health ailments, the prison is not obligated to take any action. Since it is clear that the prison is not going to take action to fix the mold problem, this means that Krystal’s health will only continue to worsen. She was not given a death sentence, but serving the remainder of her sentence in these conditions could kill her. We’re calling for the compassionate release of Krystal Clark so she can access the life-saving medical care she needs and return to her family to heal. Please contact Governor Whitmer and tell her that Krystal is being killed in prison, which no one deserves. In Krystal’s own words: “Everyone incarcerated has somebody who cares about them. The Governor says all Michiganders matter. I can’t tell when she knows my situation and others. We’re still here sick and suffering and others are dying and she has yet to acknowledge this, let alone do anything about it. The Governor says we all matter, now we’re asking her to prove it. Myself and others have families out there who love and care about them who shouldn’t have to suffer or lose their lives in here. We know there is a lot going on in the world but, Michigan, we need help. We need y’all to support our prisoner advocates who are fighting for our lives and our rights.” Krystal has petitioned the Parole Board for a Pardon or Commutation of Sentence due to her health issues. Once it reviews her petition, the board will make a recommendation to the Governor. Please write to the Parole Board and the Governor, urging them to release Krystal Clark (#435064) so that she does not die in prison. FEBRUARY 9, 2024 Krystal Clark Additionally, please call the Director, Deputy Director and Healthcare Services Administrator of MDOC and demand that Krystal be given access to medical treatment for her mold allergy, and that MDOC must address the mold problem and fix the building conditions that are allowing its growth. Learn more about Krystal’s situation at freekrystal.com and listen to her on Prison Radio (prisonradio.org) Originally published in Fight to Win January 2024.
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