Hundreds of Survivors Speak Out Against Systemic Abuse
Marcus Walker, now 37, still lives with the trauma of the sexual abuse he endured as a teenager at an Illinois youth detention center. After a staff member drugged and assaulted him two decades ago, he joined a gang for protection. It didn’t help. He spent years struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts, repeatedly cycling in and out of prison.
“I just kept going back and forth to prison because I didn’t know how to cope,” he said through tears at a news conference Tuesday.
Walker is one of approximately 800 survivors who have filed complaints since May, alleging they were sexually abused by staff at Illinois juvenile detention facilities. The lawsuits are part of a growing wave of legal action nationwide, with similar cases emerging in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
New Lawsuits Detail Decades of Abuse
On Monday, an additional 133 people filed lawsuits, adding to the mounting allegations of widespread abuse in Illinois youth detention centers between 1997 and 2023. Survivors have described horrifying experiences of rape, forced oral sex, and violent beatings by correctional officers, counselors, kitchen staff, and other employees.
One lawsuit, representing 89 individuals, names the state of Illinois and two state agencies as defendants. Another 44 lawsuits specifically target Cook County for its role in overseeing a Chicago juvenile detention center.
“The State of Illinois has had notice of such abuse for decades and nonetheless neglected to protect its confined youth,” reads one of the lawsuits, calling the abuse “systemic.”
Despite the growing number of legal claims, very few cases have led to criminal trials or settlements. Attorneys for the survivors argue that local prosecutors now have enough evidence to bring criminal charges against some of the accused.
“How many more men and women who were sexually abused as children need to come forward before you take these cases seriously?” asked Jerome Block, a New York-based attorney whose firm has filed multiple complaints in Illinois and other states.
State Officials Remain Silent Amid Mounting Allegations
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul did not respond to requests for comment. Pritzker, who took office in 2019, initially distanced his administration from the allegations, saying they predated his tenure. However, as more lawsuits have emerged, he has called the situation “unacceptable” and acknowledged that additional cases are likely.
The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and the Illinois Department of Corrections have also declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Survivors Describe a Culture of Fear and Retaliation
Many of the survivors filing lawsuits say they were threatened with physical violence, transfers to harsher facilities, or extended sentences if they reported their abusers. Others were bribed with food, cigarettes, or video game privileges to remain silent.
Charles Graves, now 39, said he was just 13 years old when he was abused at detention centers in Harrisburg and Joliet.
“I tried to speak up about the abuse to other staff members and I was punished,” he said Tuesday, surrounded by fellow survivors who nodded in support.
Many plaintiffs have identified their abusers through physical descriptions, first names, or nicknames, with some perpetrators allegedly assaulting multiple victims over the years.
Legal Battle Moves Forward
The lawsuit against the state of Illinois, filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, seeks up to $2 million per plaintiff—the maximum allowed under state law. A court hearing is expected later this month. The 44 lawsuits targeting Cook County were filed in the Circuit Court and focus on abuses at Chicago’s troubled Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
Cook County officials have declined to comment, also citing pending litigation.
For Walker, speaking out publicly is a way to reclaim his life and push for change. He recently became a father and credits his child with giving him the strength to keep fighting.
“I felt so much self-doubt,” he said. “If it wasn’t for my baby, I don’t know if I’d even be here.”
