Jeanette Marie Pruitt Dies After Galveston County Jail Incarceration

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Department, in Galveston, Texas, filed a report regarding the custodial death of Jeanette Marie Pruitt. Ms. Pruitt was 48 years old at the time of her death. We provide in this post information we obtained from that report, and we make no allegation of any wrongdoing against anyone.

The summary portion of the report reads in its entirety:

“On 07/03/2023, inmate Jeanette Pruitt was discovered to be unresponsive by jail staff, who immediately began CPR and notified jail medical staff. EMS and first responders arrived shortly after and transported inmate Pruitt to the University of Texas Medical Branch hospital where she was pronounced deceased at 10:32 a.m.”

In response to questions about whether Ms. Pruitt appeared intoxicated or exhibited medical problems, Galveston County responded “Unknown.” The report provides no information regarding any preexisting medical conditions and/or any ongoing medical treatment for Ms. Pruitt.

The United States Constitution requires jailers to provide reasonable medical care to inmates. If an inmate has a serious medical condition, and jailers fail to provide medical care, and a person dies as a result, then certain family members may be able to file a federal jail neglect lawsuit. Our jail neglect law firm is handling a number of such cases across Texas.

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.