© 2026 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

MDOC Breaks Ground On Newest Vocational Village

Jail
kconnors
/
morgueFile

Another Michigan prison is getting a new facility to help inmates learn skilled trades. Capitol Correspondent Cheyna Roth reported the Vocational Village broke ground Monday in Ypsilanti.

The Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility’s Vocational Village is scheduled to open next year.

Women will have the chance to learn about and get certified in areas like computer coding, cosmetology, and carpentry. 

Heidi Washington is the director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. She said they worked to find programs that would be interesting to women.

“Judging from their reaction at the groundbreaking I saw a lot of heads nodding and a lot of smiles and a lot of excitement for the opportunity to learn things like computer coding and 3-D printing.”

Two male prisons already have Vocational Villages. 

Before becoming the newest Capitol reporter for Michigan Public Radio Network, Cheyna Roth was an attorney. She spent her days fighting it out in court as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ionia County.
WKAR has closed the gap left by the loss of federal funding. Because of you, trusted journalism, inspiring stories, and classical music remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan.
Now the work continues — your monthly gift helps maintain this success and keeps public media free for all.