Joshua Lee, a 22-year-old former corrections officer from Wyandotte, will serve 18 months to 15 years in prison. Judge Arianne E. Slay imposed the sentence on June 18 in Washtenaw County’s 22nd Circuit Court, following Lee’s guilty plea to one count of Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct (State Prisoner).
The sentencing came after an investigation revealed that Lee had many sexual encounters with several convicts while working at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.
The Michigan State Police initially investigated and reported the case to the Department of Attorney General. Lee was eventually charged in November 2025 with four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct before negotiating a plea deal.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel underlined the need to hold governmental employees accountable.
“No one is above the law, and everyone deserves safety from sexual abuse,” Nessel stated. “My agency is determined to punish individuals who use their authority to exploit the people they are supposed to monitor and protect. We have ensured that Mr Lee will not only be held accountable but will also be unable to misuse his position, thanks to the combined efforts of the Michigan Department of Corrections, the Michigan State Police, and prosecutors from my department.”
The court processes also revealed a significant vacuum in existing state legislation. While Michigan law criminalises sexual contact by correctional personnel, there is no particular provision addressing sexual penetration perpetrated by prison staff.
Because of the current legislative structure, prosecutors must charge sexual contact and sexual penetration charges in the same manner under Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct.
Following the conviction, Nessel expressed her hope that the Michigan Legislature will modernise the state’s statutes. She is advocating for changes to the first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct statutes to expressly include sexual penetration by prison staff, which she believes would better safeguard inmates and reflect the gravity of these offences.
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