Woman sues Centre County jail over ‘shameful’ medical treatment, ‘abhorrent’ conditions
A Centre Hall woman who left the Centre County Correctional Facility in need of open heart surgery filed a lawsuit Friday that detailed allegations of ham-fisted treatment her attorney described as “shameful.”
Jessica Tressler, 34, was subject to “abhorrent” conditions while she was incarcerated in April 2022, attorney Brian Zeiger wrote. It made her the latest in what he described as a “long and distinguished history” of people who have been denied medical treatment at the jail.
A message left Monday with the county was not immediately returned. The suit was also filed against PrimeCare Medical, a medical care provider the county contracts with at a rate of more than $1 million annually.
Tressler was incarcerated for a probation violation. During her nearly three weeks at the jail, Zeiger wrote she was not properly treated for opiate withdrawal and a urinary tract infection.
Tressler, her attorney wrote, was labeled a “drug-seeking faker.” She reported pain in her kidneys, had blood in her urine and was unable to walk, but was largely denied medical care, the suit claimed.
She was found unconscious at least once and “unclothed, listless and mumbling” five days later, Zeiger wrote.
Once taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center, Tressler was diagnosed with internal bleeding, septic shock, a blood infection, pneumonia and endocarditis. She was placed on a ventilator, Zeiger wrote.
She was flown by medical helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center for what Zeiger described as “lifesaving” surgery. Tressler remained there for about four months.
Tressler’s counselor was also named in the lawsuit, which argued he “did nothing” to get her appropriate medical care. The suit alleged he knew PrimeCare “short-staffed” the area where Tressler was detained.
She is seeking $25 million. Tressler, Zeiger said Monday, is “OK today.”
“Inmates don’t have a choice when asking for medical help,” Zeiger said. “If you or I have a medical issue, we have a plethora of choices. When you’re in custody, you have no choice.”
PrimeCare has been named in dozens of federal lawsuits since 2021, many of which allege the company was negligent in providing care to people while they were incarcerated. The company provided medical care to jails in 35 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, PennLive reported in 2022.
Centre County’s commissioners approved a five-year contract with PrimeCare in 2021 at a rate of nearly $1.1 million for the first year. Annual increases were built into the agreement. The pact — as of the time it was signed — was set to expire Dec. 31, 2025.
Another former inmate’s lawsuit against the county and PrimeCare is ongoing. A settlement conference is scheduled for April 10.
Two lawsuits that brought similar claims and date back to 2012 were dismissed.
