CHICAGO — Marcus Walker shared how the trauma of sexual abuse he endured as a teenager at an Illinois youth detention facility continues to affect his life, even two decades later. After being given drugs and assaulted by a staff member, he sought refuge in a gang, believing it would offer him protection. Unfortunately, it did not shield him from further harm. Now 37, Walker has been grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and harbors ongoing suicidal thoughts. “I just kept cycling in and out of prison because I didn’t know how to cope,” he expressed during a press conference, visibly emotional.
Walker is one of approximately 800 individuals who have lodged claims since May against various juvenile detention facilities in Illinois, alleging sexual abuse by staff members. These lawsuits in Illinois are part of a broader trend of accusations against juvenile detention centers across the United States, with similar complaints surfacing in states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
The recent wave of complaints from Illinois—filed on a Monday—includes 133 individuals detailing abuse incidents spanning from 1997 to 2023. Allegations include rape, forced oral sex, and beatings by counselors, corrections officers, kitchen staff, and others involved in the facilities. A particular lawsuit identifies the state of Illinois along with two state agencies, while 44 additional claims target Cook County, which operated a juvenile detention center in Chicago.
One of the lawsuits filed on Monday underscores that “The State of Illinois has been aware of such abuse for decades and yet has failed to protect its detained youth from sexual violence while neglecting to implement key policies for their safety.” This characterization of the abuse is noted as “systemic.” Despite numerous lawsuits emerging, very few have proceeded to trial or resulted in out-of-court settlements, and arrests remain rare.
At a Tuesday press conference, attorneys stated that local prosecutors possess sufficient information to begin pursuing criminal cases against the alleged perpetrators. They openly criticized state officials, especially given Illinois’ prominence in the volume of abuse claims. Some of the alleged abusers have been identified in the lawsuits.
“How many more survivors of childhood sexual abuse must come forward before state officials take these allegations seriously?” questioned Jerome Block, an attorney from New York, who has filed cases in Illinois and other states.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and State Attorney General Kwame Raoul, whose department has previously investigated cases of sexual abuse within churches, did not respond to requests for comment. Pritzker, who has been in office since 2019, stated that the allegations occurred before his tenure but failed to provide additional input as the number of lawsuits escalated. When asked about the increasing complaints in October, he described the situation as “unacceptable” and claimed that the state was monitoring the situation closely, acknowledging that more cases could emerge.
“There are law firms reaching out to individuals from years past, encouraging them to join in on the lawsuits, which will likely result in more participants,” Pritzker commented during an unrelated news conference in Chicago.
Officials from the Department of Juvenile Justice refrained from commenting due to ongoing litigation, and a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Corrections did not respond to inquiries.
The details within the Illinois lawsuits exhibit unsettling similarities. Many plaintiffs report that their abusers would threaten them with physical violence, reassignments to harsher facilities, or extended sentences should they disclose the abuse. Others claim that they were offered rewards, such as food, cigarettes, or video game privileges, in exchange for their silence. Many of the alleged offenders are described based on the survivors’ recollections, including physical traits, first names, or nicknames, with numerous accusations pointing to repeat offenders.
Charles Graves, now 39 and residing in central Illinois, recounted being 13 when he suffered abuse at facilities in Harrisburg and Joliet. “I tried to report what was happening to me to other staff members, and I was punished for it,” he recounted, standing with fellow survivors who nodded in solidarity.
The lawsuit against the state, filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, is requesting approximately $2 million in damages for each plaintiff, the highest amount allowed by law. Legal arguments are anticipated to occur later this month. The remaining individual complaints—44 in total filed in Cook County Circuit Court—focus on the notorious Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago.
Cook County officials chose not to comment given the ongoing litigation. For Walker, who is based in downstate Decatur, becoming a father last year spurred him to share his experiences publicly and push forward. “I felt an immense amount of self-doubt,” he revealed. “If it wasn’t for my baby, I honestly don’t know if I’d be alive today.”
