House Oversight hears update on Huron Valley body‑cam recordings; questions remain about access controls

The Michigan House Oversight Committee heard an update from Representative Pohutsky on the Department of Corrections' use of body‑worn cameras at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility and outstanding questions about controls on recorded video files.

Pohutsky told the committee that the facility has ceased recording strip searches except when an altercation occurs, and that the department provided many of the documents the committee requested "yesterday." She said an outstanding issue is whether the vendor system that stores recordings has adequate tracking and access controls to ensure only authorized accounts view, convert or download the footage.

The update followed earlier testimony this year and an auditor general report that identified security lapses at some correctional facilities, including issues around vendor access and former employees retaining access. Pohutsky said those earlier hearings showed "not really great accountings" of employee records, weapons, tools and other items, and she remains concerned about whether the department or its vendor can show when videos were accessed and by whom.

Pohutsky said she is continuing to work with the Michigan Department of Corrections to resolve the outstanding questions about file access and tracking. The representative thanked the department for providing documents to her office but said the committee still needs verification that files were not viewed or distributed improperly.

The committee did not take formal action on the matter at the meeting; Pohutsky said staff are pursuing follow‑up with the department to obtain additional records and assurances.