Hundreds Sue Illinois Youth Detention Centers Over Systemic Sexual Abuse

Survivors recount decades of abuse in lawsuits, seeking justice for traumatic experiences in state and county facilities.

667 individuals have filed lawsuits alleging sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention facilities from 1996 to 2021.
The lawsuits detail abuse by corrections officers, nurses, kitchen staff, chaplains, and others in both state-run and county-run centers.
Survivors, including Michael Moss and Khadafi Muhammad, described being physically beaten, sexually assaulted, and threatened with solitary confinement.
Attorneys argue that chronic mismanagement, overcrowding, and inadequate supervision allowed an environment of violence and abuse to persist.
Calls for action have been made to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, but both have declined to comment citing pending litigation.