Lawsuit: Illinois agency wrongfully imprisoned children

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Division of Kids and Household Companies wrongfully incarcerated a whole lot of kids in juvenile detention after a court docket ordered them to be launched to their guardian, in line with a category motion lawsuit filed Thursday by Cook dinner County’s public guardian.

These youngsters have missed holidays, birthdays and funerals of family members, mentioned Cook dinner County public guardian Charles Golbert, who acts as a lawyer for abused, uncared for and dependent youngsters. He spoke Thursday at a information convention asserting the lawsuit.

“They’re held for months after the time they need to have been launched, pressured to stay in jail, pressured to be beneath the situations the place they’re confined, they’re prevented from getting the identical education they might get in the neighborhood, from having the ability to go to with their households, from having the ability to construct the relationships that they should put together them for all times,” mentioned legal professional Russell Ainsworth, who’s representing the younger plaintiffs.

The issue has persevered for many years, in line with a information launch from the regulation agency of Loevy & Loevy, which is representing 9 younger individuals, principally unnamed, in addition to different youngsters in comparable conditions.

DCFS director Marc Smith, who is called within the lawsuit together with a number of previous and current company officers, was held in contempt of court docket final yr for continued failure to search out everlasting placements for 2 youngsters in his care. They’re amongst dozens of kids who’re prepared for everlasting placement after psychological well being or different forms of therapy however for whom no properties accessible can be found.

However earlier authorized motion has not been sufficient to immediate reform within the troubled company.

“Nothing else has labored,” Ainsworth mentioned. “The one factor that can change DCFS’ practices is to sue them and maintain them personally liable for his or her actions and drive them to pay damages to the kids who’ve been struggling hurt for 30 years.”

Plaintiff Janiah Caine, 18, was imprisoned wrongfully in juvenile short-term detention middle for a “surprising 166 days over a one-year interval,” in line with the lawsuit.

Caine, then a minor, misplaced her grandmother throughout the time she was really useful for launch however remained locked up, and was unable to attend her funeral.

“All people has that one member of the family you possibly can at all times speak to and go to,” Caine mentioned on the information convention. “She was that individual I had.”

The teenager couldn’t attain her case employee, and “my grandma was getting sicker and sicker as we’re simply ready and ready … it’s a horrible feeling.”

Caine mentioned she and different detained youths spent the vast majority of the day locked up in small cells the scale a WC, with only a mattress, a rest room and a sink. “All people is aware of you possibly can go loopy simply being in a room by your self like that,” she mentioned.

As well as, the setting wasn’t protected, and workers handled them badly, Caine mentioned. “You don’t know when anyone gonna hit you.”

“They deal with you want nothing. It’s simply so dangerous,” she mentioned.

DCFS didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

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Savage is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.