In addition to the damning DOJ report, other high-profile cases involving staff-on-inmate abuse have shown that Illinois has struggled with a systemic abuse problem for decades.

Evidence supplied by public filings and payouts has also shown that the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) and various county-operated jails overwhelmingly failed to investigate complaints, report abusive staff, and protect youth inmates.

Some examples include:

• In June 2021, Antoinette Perkins pleaded guilty to felony official misconduct after it was discovered that she engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor housed at the Illinois Youth Detention Center in St. Charles.
• In 2011, a male guard at the Illinois Youth Center in Joliet (IYC Joliet) was sentenced to six years in prison for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old in 2008.
• In February 2007, St. Clair County agreed to pay $900,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former youth inmate who was touched inappropriately several times by guard Thomas O’Donnell Jr. when he was housed at the St. Clair County juvenile custody center in May 2005.
• The February 2007 case also alleged that the County negligently retained O’Donnell despite a history of questionable conduct. O’Donnell pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and other charges in April 2008.
• In 2003, an employee of the Illinois Youth Center Murphysboro was arrested on multiple felony counts for sexual abuse.
• In 2000, a former teacher at the Illinois Youth Center Warrenville was charged with criminal sexual abuse for alleged sexual contact with two teenage residents of the facility.

Illinois Juvenile Abuse Claims firmly believes that every victim of sexual abuse within active and closed juvenile hall detention facilities in Illinois should seek justice and compensation through the legal system.