(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Earlier this week, 95 people filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois in which they claimed they were abused while serving in juvenile correctional centers — and three of them are speaking out about sexual abuse.
Stephen Lucas, 36, said he only recently came to terms with the torment he suffered at the hands of a supervisor at a youth facility downstate.
“I survived and continue to survive the sexual and emotional abuse that I faced as a child in the very justice system that was supposed to help correct me,” Lucas said. “I was preyed upon by a dangerous man who held a position of power.”
His claims were part of a lawsuit that accuses the Illinois Departments of Corrections and Juvenile Justice of failing to supervise, discipline, fire or even investigate accused abusers.
Another man, Jeffrey Christian, said he was abused at two different youth centers run by the state.
“I learned at too young of an age that the system wasn’t going to make me a better man, just hurt me,” he said.
Christian said his family was ignored when they reported that a counselor was groping him during sessions.
“I wish I could have used my time to grow and change and become a better man through the discipline and the support of the staff around me,” he said. “Instead, I was sexually abused and neglected.”
The lawsuit was filed in the Court of Claims and seeks $2 million per person. Many of the 95 plaintiffs say they were threatened or rewarded to keep quiet.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the allegations — which date from 1996 to 2017 — are from before he took office and his spokespeople say allegations of staff misconduct are “thoroughly investigated.”
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