Illinois Lawsuits Allege Sexual Abuse of Hundreds of Juvenile Inmates Dating Back to 1990s

The Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center is seen Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Chicago, which is one of several juvenile centers statewide where more than 200 men and women have filed lawsuits alleging they were abused as children while in custody. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo

Hundreds of former Illinois juvenile inmates filed lawsuits on Monday alleging that they were sexually abused while in custody at detention centers.

The lawsuits describe decades-long systemic abuse, alleging that chaplains, correction officers, kitchen staff, and nurses periodically forced over 200 inmates into sexual acts from 1996 to 2021.