Illinois child protection agency places kids in juvenile detention who never committed crimes, lawsuit claims

CHICAGO (CBS) — Youngsters from abused and uncared for households are taken in by the state’s little one welfare division with a promise of being stored secure. However a lawsuit filed Thursday challenges how secure the Illinois Division of Youngsters and Household Companies is actually maintaining a few of the state’s most weak children, CBS Chicago’s Chris Tye experiences.

The go well with highlights the story of how the system left one lady locked up. 

The identical occurred to dozens of different children who had been positioned behind bars regardless of by no means having carried out something flawed, the go well with asserts.

Why had been they there? The explanation, the go well with says, was that the state was out of placement beds.

And now, Tye says, victims are out of endurance.

“They do not care about me,” mentioned Janiah Cane, 18. “They do not need to assist me out of this horrible place.”

The primary “horrible place” Caine ended up was Cook dinner County Juvenile Courtroom.

Caine was a minor when she entered Household Courtroom – a relative had turned violent. A sufferer of kid abuse, she was requested to talk the reality about her abuser in alternate for defense by DCFS.

“After I was informed … ‘I’ll maintain you secure,’ I’d anticipate you to maintain me secure,” Caine mentioned, “and in that place, I did not really feel secure.”

Caine then ended up in one other “horrible place” – behind bars on the Cook dinner County Juvenile Non permanent Detention Heart. Earlier than it was over, she would spend 166 nights there. 

“Generally I even really feel like they needed me in there, as a result of I used to be in there so lengthy,” Caine mentioned in disgust.

She had carried out nothing flawed. The explanation she was within the lockup was as a result of DCFS was out of beds, the lawsuit claims.

“I do not know,” Caine mentioned. “It is loads of feelings and emotions that you simply really feel – as a result of no one desires to be in a horrible place like that, the place you are combating ladies.”

When she requested for a brief launch to attend her grandmother’s funeral, her caseworker could not be discovered – and he or she missed it.

“They had been taking so lengthy to search out my DCFS case employee as a result of no one knew the place she was,” Caine mentioned. “I felt horrible. I felt so many feelings, like anger, disappointment – as a result of I beloved her a lot.”

This go well with tells the story of Caine and eight different children who spent wherever from 45 days to 6 months wrongfully incarcerated.

Michael spent 45 days, David 86 days, Jordan 150 days, James 240 days, Kate greater than three months, John 5 and a half months, Elliot greater than six months, and Thomas greater than seven months, based on Tye.

As of Thursday night, seven children had been nonetheless locked up after they should not have been, Cook dinner County Public Guardian Charles Golbert mentioned. They’ve logged over 239 days beneath lock and key regardless of doing nothing flawed, he mentioned.

This, even if a decide has ordered the children launched again to their caregivers.

“They depart their children to rot in detention when a decide has ordered them out,” Golbert mentioned.

“If DCFS continues to have these insurance policies that harm youngsters, then they’ll pay – and they’re going to pay till they cease doing it and it by no means occurs once more to a different little one,” mentioned legal professional Russell Ainsworth.

Ainsworth mentioned a jury will find yourself deciding what the greenback determine ought to be – however the coverage of locking children up prices lots of of hundreds greater than correctly staffing placement amenities would.

“As we converse, there are literally empty beds in placements – as a result of the placements aren’t being paid sufficient cash to be absolutely staffed,” Golbert mentioned.

Caine mentioned the failures within the DCFS system run from up excessive all the best way down the road.

“They by no means do their job,” Caine mentioned. “There have been instances that they’ve left me – not simply jail, different locations which might be horrible that you simply get handled flawed and stuff like that.”

Caine walked out from behind the bars behind which she did not belong – and now hopes the lawsuit modifications insurance policies and improves the lives of future children dealt life’s hardest hand.

“All people in there ought to be free,” Caine mentioned. “It may be about their life – get a job, do one thing with their life as an alternative of simply sitting in jail.”

She hopes the lawsuit prompts modifications and protects different children.

“I hope that they do not should undergo this, and the folks after them do not should undergo this,” Caine mentioned.

Tye reached out to DCFS for touch upon the lawsuit. The company issued this assertion:

“The Division of Youngsters and Household Companies works as shortly as doable to put youth in applicable and secure settings. After all, we are able to solely place youth the place we now have availability that meets their wants, which is why the division can also be working to increase the capability that was hollowed out beneath earlier administrations. Due to this work, in recent times we now have made progress in decreasing the variety of youth who stay within the justice system previous the date they’re allowed to be launched and we’re deeply dedicated to continued progress. We can not remark additional resulting from pending litigation.”