Inmate Micky Cage (Full Name: Micky Ray Cage), 54, Died After Being Found Unresponsive At Salinas Valley State Prison In Soledad

SOLEDAD, CALIFORNIA (October 8, 2023) – A 54-year-old male inmate identified as Micky Cage has tragically died after being found unresponsive in his cell at Salinas Valley State Prison.

Monterey County officials are saying that the incident took place around 7:30 a.m. in the morning. Correctional officers noticed that Micky Cage was unresponsive in his cell.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the inmate. But efforts to revive him were not successful and Micky Cage was pronounced dead.

A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.

 

Liability For Monterey County Inmate Deaths

California has one of the highest instances of in-custody deaths. But the problem of in-custody deaths is not unique to California. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “A total of 4,234 persons died in state and federal prisons in 2019, a 6.6% decrease from the 4,515 deaths in 2018 reported to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI, formerly the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program) data collection.” There are many causes of in-custody deaths.

• Suicide
• Homicide
• Medical neglect
• Heart attacks

The U.S. Constitution forbids jails from utilizing cruel and unusual forms of punishment. The Supreme Court of The United States has held on numerous occasions that failing to give inmates adequate healthcare is a form of cruel and unusual punishment and is therefore forbidden. If a jail is deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of an inmate, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. It is important that evidence is properly preserved after any inmate death.

• Surveillance footage should be sought.
• Medical records should be preserved.
• The actions of jail staff prior to the death should be understood.
• The number of deaths at any jail should be investigated.

Many jails are quick to label in-custody deaths as natural. But this label is often highly misleading. To start with, many of these reported deaths involve people in their early 30’s. In many situations, deaths that get reported as natural involve some amount of medical neglect. The family of any inmate that died in-custody may be able to seek support through a constitutional claim.

 

Investigating Monterey County Inmate Deaths

We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of Micky Cage. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our hope that once the investigation is concluded, meaningful steps will be taken to prevent similar tragedies.

Do you need more information about a Monterey County inmate death? Our team of civil rights advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We focus on cases involving police abuses of power and jail neglect. We can examine the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal options are. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at  (949) 825-5200.