In a harrowing incident that’s drawing outrage across Michigan, seven incarcerated individuals were left locked inside a transport van for hours, with no water, air conditioning, or food, in what they described as a near-death experience. The van sat in the garage at the Kalamazoo County jail, abandoned by officers who were reportedly busy with other tasks.
The Sheriff’s Press Release downplays the event, but thanks to to reporting by WWMT, the real story is out: individuals inside the van were left in life-threatening conditions.
For many, it confirmed what they had long suspected: their lives don’t matter once they’re in custody.
This Wasn’t Miscommunication; It Was Negligence.
Officials from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office claimed the situation resulted from a “miscommunication,” but that excuse isn’t good enough.
You don’t “accidentally” leave human beings in a metal box without ventilation or water for hours.
Yesterday’s weather was muggy; the temperature was nearly into the 80’s at one point.
That’s problematic as hot car deaths can happen in temperatures as low as 60 degrees.
The van had no running A/C. The individuals were shackled, with limited ability to move freely or escape danger.
This wasn’t just inhumane; it was potentially criminal.
Human Beings, Not Cargo
The sheriff’s office said the incident is under “internal review.” But incidents like these aren’t isolated; they’re part of a nationwide pattern where incarcerated people are treated like inventory rather than people.
Dehumanization is the Policy; Not the Exception
Status as incarcerated people makes it all too easy for the public to excuse or ignore them.
One person reported screaming for help for hours. Another said, “We thought we were going to die.” Yet, the officers went home that night. The incarcerated individuals did not.
This kind of trauma doesn’t disappear. It becomes part of a long chain of institutional abuse where the message is clear: your pain doesn’t matter.
We Need Oversight; Not Excuses
Sheriff Richard Fuller’s department claims to be investigating itself.
But that’s the problem.
There is no independent oversight of how jails treat people in transport. No cameras. No audits. No consequences until someone dies or goes public.
That’s why Michigan needs legislation like SB 156 for a Corrections Ombudsman, to monitor jails and prisons, investigate abuse, and prevent horror stories like this one from repeating.
This CANNOT Be Forgotten
This isn’t about one sheriff’s department.
It’s about a flawed system that sees people in custody as disposable. The individuals in that van were 100% still people; still community members. Still someone’s family.
They deserved basic dignity. They didn’t get it.
Until we create real accountability, stories like this will keep happening; quietly, violently, and out of public view.
