More people held in Illinois juvenile detention centers allege sexual abuse
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is facing new allegations from dozens of men and women who said they were abused as children when they were incarcerated.
Nearly 200 have come forward to sue the state agency that operates Illinois Youth Centers, many of which operate around Chicago, including in St. Charles, Warrenville, and Joliet.
Last month, Gov. JB Pritzker distanced himself from the allegations and said none occurred while he was governor. The most recent round of allegations included cases that occurred during his administration.
"I still suffer from the abuse, and my personal relationships have suffered, and I know life will never be the same," said Jermaine Bell. "This has to stop, please."
In 2005, Bell, then 14 years old, was housed at the St. Charles Youth Center, now called Peace Center at St. Charles. He said he was sexually abused by an officer. He filed a complaint, notified his family, and that's when he said the retaliation began.
"They med you up, literally medication, like medication because I told y'all I got sexually abused? Like, really? Medication?" he said. "And then you send me to maximum security?"
Bell told his family he was hallucinating. He said blowing the whistle led to a move to the maximum security state juvenile facility in southwest suburban Joliet, where, at age 15, he was put in confinement for 60 days.
"It is time for the State of Illinois to accept responsibility for this systematic abuse of children," said attorney Jerome Block.
On Monday, 108 new victims came forward as part of the sweeping lawsuit that already included more than 90 victims who were children in the system. Some were as young as 10 years old.
CBS 2 asked Pritzker about the allegations last month, when the first round of lawsuits came to light.
"I don't want to comment too much about it, because it's ongoing litigation," Pritzker said. "But I understand it's a matter that involved the prior administration of not only D.J.J. but the prior administration of the governorship."
The second round of allegations includes one from 2019 when Pritzker was in office.
"The governor said in response to questioning that it was prior administrations," said Block. "We have cases up through recent years. We have one case from 2019, but we have no evidence, no reason to believe that the conditions that have enabled this sexual abuse for decades and decades have been fixed."
In a statement late Monday, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice said:
"The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) is aware of the lawsuits recently filed in the Illinois Court of Claims related to allegations under prior administrations. Although the Department is unable to comment on active litigation, IDJJ takes seriously the safety of youth in the care of the Department. All allegations of staff misconduct are immediately and thoroughly investigated internally and often in partnership with the Department of Corrections, the Illinois State Police and the Department of Children and Family Services.
IDJJ has enacted policies and protocols to ensure the safety of youth and staff and identify any possible instances of abuse or misconduct. IDJJ protocols comply with both state and federal safety standards and IDJJ completes ongoing policy and protocol evaluations. All staff working in IDJJ facilities undergo background checks and training, along with participating in ongoing professional development."
When asked about the most recent allegation during Pritzker's tenure, a spokesperson for the governor said that the Attorney General's Office handles litigation and declined comment on the matter.
