Michigan Hit With $500M Lawsuit For Filming Naked Female Inmates

Things just got ugly for the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). According to WLNS, a $500 million lawsuit filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court is calling out what attorneys are calling "state-sponsored voyeurism" inside the Women's Huron Valley Correction Facility (WHV) in Ypsilanti.

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The lawsuit, filed on May 5, 2025, by attorneys representing 20 inmates, accused the MDOC of recording strip searches and other deeply private moments, like showering or using the toilet, using body cameras worn by prison guards. You read that right. Body cams. Recording. Naked. Inmates.

MDOC Accused of Recording Strip Searches, Showers

CBS Detroit via YouTube

According to the suit, Michigan is the only state allowing this kind of surveillance. Most states have banned recording during unclothed searches because, obviously, that's a violation of privacy.

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The women say they weren't just filmed, but also subjected to inappropriate comments and behavior from correctional officers during these moments. The charges are invasion of privacy, emotional distress, sex-based discrimination under the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and constitutional violations.

Practice Allegedly Continued Despite Policy Update

CBS Detroit via YouTube

The MDOC did update its policy in March 2025 to ban filming during strip searches. But the lawsuit claims the cameras never stopped rolling, even in showers and bathrooms. CBS reports the cameras weren't turned off until March 24, 2025.

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Flood Law, the firm behind the case, is asking for a lot more than just $500 million. They want the state to destroy all of those recordings, retrain prison staff, and permanently end this practice. MDOC has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Michigan Department of Corrections Most Wanted Fugitives

The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) has a long, storied history, which includes hundreds of unsuccessful prison breaks. That said, some have been successful enough that nearly 50 years later, some Michigan fugitives are still running from justice. Here's a look at the MDOC's Most Wanted Fugitives and Absconders

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

How Understaffed Are America's Prisons? New Research Revealed

H&P Law examined data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2023 and the Bureau of Justice Statistics from 2022 to determine the number of correctional officers and compare that to the number of prisoners in each state (Rhode Island data unavailable). Let's countdown to the state with the poorest staffing within prisons and jails.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

The 1952 Jackson, Michigan Prison Riot

Protesting harsh treatment, poor medical care, and bad food, inmates of Jackson's Michigan State Prison held 9 guards hostage for 5 days of riots in April 1952.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

America Behind Bars: State Rankings for Prison Population Growth

With many states experiencing corrections officer shortages and no shortage of criminals willing to land themselves behind bars, some states are closely monitoring prison populations and searching for solutions. Other states have thrown caution to the wind and more lawbreakers into prison, with a southern state leading the way, growing its incarcerated population by over 14% from 2021 to 2022, according to a study conducted by H&P Law. Let's countdown to the state with the largest percentage growth of residents housed in prison.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

Source: Lawsuit Alleges MDOC Body Cams Filmed Nude Inmates

Filed Under: LAWSUIT, Michigan Department of Corrections

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