James Pruitt Jr., a 63-year-old inmate who was serving a life sentence for murder out of Mobile County at St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville, passed away on Sept. 16.  

Pruitt was transferred to a local hospital on Aug. 4 for additional care related to multiple chronic, preexisting health conditions. Despite being asymptomatic, he was tested for COVID-19 upon admission per hospital protocol and returned a positive test result.

Pruitt’s condition improved and he was discharged from the hospital to St. Clair’s infirmary on Aug. 19. However, upon his condition worsening, he was readmitted to the hospital on Aug. 22 where he remained until his passing.  

404 total cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among our inmate population, 28 of which remain active.