No one should find out through rumors or third-hand accounts that their loved one is in the hospital fighting for their life. Yet, in Michigan, jails and prisons are *not legally required* to notify families when an incarcerated person becomes critically ill or is hospitalized. This has to change.**

Incarcerated individuals are still human beings — they are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, siblings, and friends. Families deserve the right to know when their loved one is in a life-threatening condition. Denying them that right is inhumane, traumatic, and unnecessary.

Currently, the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) and local county jails are **not legally obligated to inform emergency contacts or next-of-kin** when someone in custody is transferred to a hospital, placed in intensive care, or declared medically unresponsive. In some cases, families don’t even find out until after their loved one has passed away.

We, the undersigned, are calling on **Michigan lawmakers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and the Michigan Department of Corrections** to take immediate action by introducing and passing legislation that will:

1. **Require prisons and jails to notify an incarcerated person’s designated emergency contact or next-of-kin within 24 hours of hospitalization or critical medical condition.**

2. **Mandate a clear, written protocol for health emergency notification across all correctional facilities in Michigan.**

3. **Hold facilities accountable for failure to notify families during medical emergencies.**

Every family has a right to know. Every incarcerated person has a right to dignity. Michigan must lead with compassion and transparency by fixing this glaring gap in the system.

✍️ **Sign this petition to demand urgent legislative action and basic human decency for Michigan families.**