José Amaya, an inmate imprisoned at Desolate Tract State Prison in Susanville, California, is torn between life and death.
On January 16, a fight occurred in the prison recreation area and a shot from a control tower tore out part of his brain.
According to the complaint filed by attorney Brad Gage of Brad Gage Rules APC and Michael Quiroz, José’s family, his brother now wears a helmet on his head.
However, the life of José, 33, hangs in the balance because, according to Gage and Quiroz, the inmate is not receiving the proper medical care he needs.
“Instead of providing him with the necessary measures to save his life, José is now in “the hole (isolation cell).”
“He’s being treated like an animal. He’s not getting the treatment and medical care that he needs and deserves,” said Gage, who noted that as attorneys, they routinely seek justice in the form of financial compensation for victims of torts.
“But what is truly important and crucial in this case [de José Amaya] “It’s that we are demanding the treatment and medical care that can save a man’s life,” he added.
José was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. He would presumably be released in 2032.
“He is in prison; but he was not given a life sentence,” said the lawyer. “José deserves to be treated like a human being, and not like an animal. He needs to receive medical treatment; this should not be denied to him. He has constitutional rights that guarantee him access to medical care.”
Attorney Brad Gage, who represents José Amaya’s family, including his brother Michael, his nephews, Sophia and Luke Quiroz, and Isabel González, believes that there is no justification for the shooting his client received.
They declared him dead
As a direct result of the shot that rendered him unconscious, part of José’s skull was shattered. He lost consciousness and was initially declared dead, Gage indicates in the complaint sent to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in Susanville, at the Excessive Desolate Tract Tell Detention Heart (HDSP) prison.
“It was stated that [José Anaya] He had no brain activity,” the lawyer said. “The defendants wanted to disconnect crucial support and denied José access to his family. “This was contrary to their rights.”
However, José’s brother managed to prevent them from disconnecting the crucial support.
José survived and regained consciousness despite being declared dead. A piece of skull was missing.
Michael Quiroz said his brother was fitted with a helmet. His head is sunken and he needs brain surgery.
“The defendants were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs. They denied him the surgery he needed,” the attorney stated.
Despite having survived a shooting by a prison guard that left him missing part of his skull, José is currently in solitary confinement and is not receiving adequate care.
“The defendants have retaliated against José, threatening to transfer him and deny him a possible brain surgery that could save his life, in retaliation for having hired a lawyer. José has been threatened with physical violence if he does not accept the transfer and the denial of the possible surgery that could save his life,” states the letter sent to the prison authorities.
In the plaintiffs’ view, prison authorities could have acted with deliberate indifference to Amaya’s medical needs, his civil rights, and his right to live his life as a dignified human being, with his skull intact and surgically reconstructed.
“That is the reason much more important than easy money; it is about a man’s life and the need to provide him with medical treatment,” reiterated Gage, who announced that, while José Amaya has been imprisoned, his mother died.
“At 18 years old, my brother made a mistake. He was sentenced, but he was not sentenced to death,” declared Michael Quiroz. “I miss my brother. He deserves to live. I wish he would come home.”
How can they force the State to act when there is no pending court case? That is, what mechanism do they have to advocate on behalf of the family and get them to do whatever they need to do?
“First and foremost, we want to raise public awareness. And that’s precisely what this can do: raise awareness and draw the attention of those people who have the power to act correctly,” said Attorney Gage.
“We also want to remind the State and the prison system that there is a constitutional mandate that requires them to provide necessary medical care, and that they incur responsibility if they show deliberate indifference to the medical needs of a person deprived of liberty,” he added. “This constitutes a violation of civil rights, and is one reason we can file a lawsuit.”
In the same way, the ethical representative of José Amaya and his relatives want to ensure that “they do not incur cruel and unusual punishment.”
“We are not a country that believes in torture. We are a country governed by rules and regulations; a country that requires that, when inmates are in jail or prison, they receive prompt, fair and necessary medical care. No one deserves to die slowly or suffer like an animal.”
For children, not having their uncle José on a daily basis is difficult.
“I don’t want my uncle to die,” said little Sophia, trembling and crying.
Kyle Buis, public information officer, in CDCR’s healthcare communications office responded to La Opinion that he could not comment on pending litigation.
However, he announced that José Amaya, 33 years old, was received [en la prisión deSunsaville] from Riverside County on November 16, 2015.
“He was sentenced to 26 years and four months for assault with a deadly weapon with an aggravation of causing serious bodily injury; for impeding or deterring a victim or witness under specified circumstances; for assault with force likely to produce serious bodily injury; for possession of paraphernalia, drugs or alcohol in a jail or prison; and for assault with a deadly weapon.”
“Amaya received 1,418 days of credit for time served prior to sentencing and was eligible for credit accumulation opportunities.
However, he did not refer to questions about the physical condition or medical care that would be provided to Amaya.
Deaths in California jails and prisons
CalMatters research shows that between 2011 and 2022, at least 2,312 people died while in custody in California prisons.
While state-level data on specific deaths occurring exclusively in prisons over the past 10 years is not fully consolidated in search results, multiple reports indicate that the number of deaths in California prisons has increased, peaking at 215 in 2022, despite the decline in the inmate population.
Key details regarding deaths in custody include:
Southern California Jails: Between January 2020 and November 2025, a total of 478 people died in Southern California jails (in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties).
Los Angeles County Jails: From early 2023 to April 2026, 136 people have died in Los Angeles County jails.
Leading Causes: The primary causes of death are natural causes, followed by law enforcement homicides, suicides, and accidental deaths (including fentanyl overdoses).
Upward trends: Despite the decline in the usual prison population, the number of deaths in California prisons increased from 130 in 2006 to 156 in 2020, according to a 2022 audit.
These figures encompass both state prisons and local county jails, with increasing attention being paid to the spike in deaths in Southern California correctional facilities.
