Lawsuit alleging abuse in juvenile facilities in Illinois

Sexual abuse of juvenile inmates was rampant in juvenile centers across Illinois for more than two decades, according to a sweeping lawsuit filed Monday.

One plaintiff was about 14 years old when he was repeatedly raped – sometimes daily – in his cell by an employee who revoked his gardening and telephone privileges when he tried to protest, the lawsuit says.

Another was 13 years old when a state employee repeatedly groped and molested him, the lawsuit says; The employee allegedly later told him that it was pointless to report the abuse because correctional officers were “sticking together” and that he would get in trouble if he tried again.

Another, about 16 years old, was abused by a counselor at the facility who said she would “make him feel better” by performing oral sex on him, the lawsuit says.

In total, 95 people have joined the lawsuit filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, which alleges the state allowed sexual abuse in juvenile facilities. Some plaintiffs independently allege that they were abused by the same employees, raising the possibility that there could be repeat abusers among the facility’s employees.

“What is truly outrageous is that the perpetrators were employees of the Illinois Youth Center,” attorney Jerome Block told the Tribune on Monday. “They were correctional officers, they were counselors, they were even supervisors. The people who were responsible for keeping our customers safe were actually the ones who committed the abuse.”

The plaintiffs were boys and girls ages 12 to 17 at the time of the alleged abuse, which occurred between 1996 and 2017, Block said.

Young people in detention are particularly powerless and vulnerable, the lawsuit says. The state should have known it had a systemic problem after a 2013 federal study found that sexual victimization rates among incarcerated youth in Illinois were among the highest in the country.

“These are kids coming into the juvenile justice system and what they really need is help, they need education, they need rehabilitation and they need to be treated in a way that helps them get on the right path and lead productive lives. Block said. “That’s what the juvenile justice system is supposed to do. Instead, these people suffered some of the worst trauma a human being can endure.”

The state Department of Juvenile Justice issued a statement late Monday saying officials were aware of the dispute.

“Although the department is unable to comment on active litigation, IDJJ takes the safety of youth in the department’s care seriously,” the statement said, adding that such allegations have been made by the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Illinois State Police and the Department of Children and Family Services are investigating.

“IDJJ has policies and protocols in place to ensure the safety of youth and staff and to identify possible cases of abuse or misconduct,” it continued. “IDJJ protocols comply with both state and federal safety standards and IDJJ conducts ongoing policy and protocol assessments. All employees working at IDJJ facilities undergo background checks and training and participate in ongoing professional development.”

The state Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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