Survivors of alleged abuse in juvenile correctional facilities in Illinois are speaking out

Stephen Lucas (right) speaks at a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Lucas and two others claim they were sexually abused as children while incarcerated in juvenile detention centers in Illinois and came forward Tuesday as part of a lawsuit he tells of decades of disturbing allegations of systematic child abuse. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

CHICAGO (AP) — Three men who say they were sexually abused as children while incarcerated in juvenile detention centers in Illinois came forward Tuesday as part of a lawsuit that uncovers decades of disturbing allegations of systematic child abuse.

Calvin McDowell, 37, who claimed he was abused by a clergyman at a suburban Chicago youth center as a teenager, said he did not want others to suffer as he did for decades.

“Instead of being cared for, I felt more alone than ever,” McDowell said at a news conference in Chicago. “I kept my secret from the people I loved out of fear and embarrassment. I had nights where I wanted to give up on life.”

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they were sexually abused unless they agree to be identified or decide to tell their stories publicly, as McDowell and two other men did are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

The complaint filed Monday alleges widespread abuse at nine juvenile detention centers between 1996 and 2017, including gang rapes, forced oral sex and beatings of children by correctional officers, sergeants, nurses, therapists, a chaplain and others. Many of the 95 plaintiffs, identified in the lawsuit largely by their initials, said they were threatened or rewarded with silence.

The lawsuit follows similar complaints about abuse in juvenile detention centers in New Jersey, California, Maryland and elsewhere.

Ten of the 95 men and women who filed the Illinois complaint appeared at the news conference.

Jeffery Christian, 36, said he was abused at two different youth centers in Illinois, including by a counselor who groped him during counseling sessions. His family’s efforts to report the abuse were ignored at the time, he said – a pattern familiar to the others.

“I want the world to know what happened to me and the other survivors who are with me,” Christian said. “I want to shine a light on those dark times I went through as a teenager.”

As Christian shed tears, another survivor patted him on the shoulder in support. As the survivors spoke, there were nods of agreement and applause. Several said that meeting others who had shared the same harrowing experiences helped them find peace.

The lawsuit alleges that Illinois failed to supervise, discipline, remove or investigate alleged abusers, allowing the abuse to continue. The complaint alleges that the abuse occurred at youth centers in locations across the state, including Chicago, St. Charles and Harrisburg. Several detention center locations have now been closed.

The lawsuit, filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, names the state of Illinois and its Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice as defendants. It seeks damages of about $2 million per plaintiff, the maximum allowed by law.

Spokespeople for Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who took office in 2019, and the two corrections departments said the alleged incidents occurred under previous administrations and that any allegations of misconduct by employees would be “thoroughly investigated.” There was initially no further comment on Tuesday.

Lawyers who filed the lawsuit said they were skeptical that things had changed.

Attorney Todd Mathews said there are hundreds of other former child inmates in Illinois who have alleged sexual abuse and that he expects to file more lawsuits. Attorney Jerome Block, who has helped file lawsuits against juvenile detention centers elsewhere, said states always insist they have the proper procedures in place to prevent abuse and that children are safe.

“It’s hard to believe that the state is saying there isn’t a problem right now, because that’s what they’ve been saying for all of these last decades,” Block said.

Some survivors said they hope to get more answers through legal action, including the names of their alleged perpetrators.

The lawsuit names six alleged repeat offenders. However, many others are only identified if the alleged victims remembered them, including through physical descriptions or nicknames.

Stephen Lucas, 36, was about 13 years old when he said he was repeatedly abused and harassed by a supervisor at an upstate juvenile facility. He hopes his submission will help others.

“I was afraid to share my plight with those closest to me because I didn’t want to be seen differently. But joining the lawsuit freed a part of me that I had locked away for 22 years,” he said. “I’m finally regaining what was taken from me all those years ago.”