Illinois has been sued by 95 men and women alleging sexual abuse in juvenile centers

A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 95 men and women who claim they were sexually abused at juvenile centers across Illinois.

The lawsuit accuses the State of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) of failing to protect plaintiffs from sexual abuse by adult employees.

“The State of Illinois has allowed a culture of sexual abuse to flourish unabated within its IYC facilities,” the complaint states. “Upon information and belief, the State of Illinois is aware (and has been aware for decades) that the above-mentioned sexual abuse and juvenile correctional facility conditions were and are endemic in all IYC facilities.”

The 95 plaintiffs were housed in Illinois juvenile centers in Chicago, Murphysboro, Valley View, Joliet, Kewanee, Warrenville, St. Charles, Pere Marquette and Harrisburg, according to the lawsuit filed in the Illinois Court of Claims. The plaintiffs, who are now adults, all suffered the alleged sexual abuse between 1996 and 2017, when they were between 12 and 17 years old.

USA TODAY reached out to the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office for comment but did not receive a response.

The lawsuit states that employees of the youth center sexually abused the plaintiffs

The sexual perpetrators included correctional officers, counselors, supervisors, sergeants, nurses, therapists, a chaplain and other staff at the Illinois Youth Center, the complaint says. Multiple plaintiffs alleged “severe abuse” by the same perpetrators, the lawsuit continued.

“The very people who were entrusted with the safety of our clients as children in these juvenile centers were the ones who committed the sexual abuse,” Jerome Block, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in an interview with USA TODAY on Tuesday. “This is long-term institutionalized sexual abuse that took place over more than 20 years.”

Block said many of his clients were raped and forced to perform oral sex and other sexual acts.

“All of our clients have been sexually abused in one way or another,” the lawyer said. “Many of our clients reported sexual abuse and nothing was done. Our clients were often threatened or incited to receive contraband such as cigarettes or other privileges…Overall, this shows that Illinois’ juvenile justice system is broken.”

In June 2013, the Justice Department’s National Survey of Youth in Custody reported that Illinois was “one of the four worst states for sexual abuse in juvenile correctional facilities,” the complaint says.

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is aware of the lawsuit.

In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice said it was aware of the lawsuit, which “is related to allegations made under previous administrations.”

“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.

“All allegations of staff misconduct will be promptly and thoroughly investigated in collaboration with the Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police and the Department of Children and Family Services,” the statement continued.

The IDJJ has also “enacted policies and protocols to ensure the safety of youth and staff and to identify possible instances of misconduct,” the statement said.

“IDJJ protocols meet both state and federal safety standards and IDJJ conducts ongoing policy and protocol assessments,” the statement said. “All employees who work at IDJJ facilities undergo background checks and training and participate in ongoing professional development.”

“They can stick together.”

Block said he and his co-counsel are preparing for more complaints as they represent hundreds of people who were sexually abused in juvenile centers in Illinois. The 95 women and men are part of the initial lawsuit, but the attorney said additional groups of plaintiffs will file lawsuits in the coming months.

“It is my honor and privilege to support our customers through this process,” said Block. “Many of them carry this trauma with them their entire lives.”

According to Block, all plaintiffs feel “empowered” because they can demand some form of accountability.

“You are able to stand with other people who have suffered similar sexual abuse after spending much of their lives truly alone,” the attorney said.

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