BALTIMORE, MD - Arlando "Tray" Jones is one of several thousand who have alleged that while they were in juvenile detention, they were sexually assaulted by staff.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Jones said that while he was at the Maryland Training School for Boys, a staff member repeatedly sexually assaulted him while another kept watch. A slew of recent lawsuits alleging widespread misconduct in Maryland's juvenile detention facilities states that the detention officers would corner children in dark spaces and bribe them with extra snacks and other special treatment.
Jones is among thousands of people seeking accountability under a new state law that eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. The new law was passed in 2023 and now Maryland lawmakers are scrambling to address the unexpected onslaught of cases targeting the state's juvenile justice system. They're worried the current state budget will not be able to support a potential payout.
Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services submitted a statement to the AP, saying, "DJS takes allegations of sexual abuse of children in our care with utmost seriousness and we are working hard to provide decent, humane and rehabilitative environments for youth committed to the Department. We do not comment on pending litigation."
Maryland lawmakers passed the Child Victims Act in the immediate aftermath of a scathing investigative report that revealed widespread abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Before its passage, victims couldn't sue after they turned 38.
To protect its assets, the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy. State leaders, however, did not anticipate they would be facing similar budgetary concerns. Lawmakers are now considering new legislation to shield the state financially. According to lawyers involved, an estimated 6,000 people have retained attorneys and new complaints keep pouring in.
In addition to monetary damages, plaintiffs want mandated reform of Maryland's juvenile justice system. A 2004 Justice Department report found a "deeply disturbing degree of physical abuse" at the facility where Jones was detained, now called the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School. The state closed Hickey's youth treatment program in 2005, but it's still operating as a youth detention center.
Many other facilities named in the lawsuits have already been closed and state leaders have strengthened oversight in recent years. The state has also focused on detaining fewer youths.
The Maryland lawsuits paint a particularly disturbing picture and it wasn't just select facilities or a small group of abusive staff members, it was statewide and persisted for decades, as noted by the attorneys involved. The lawsuit states that the abuse was often a poorly kept secret, but the system repeatedly failed to stop it.
In a complaint filed earlier in March, 69 people brought claims against the same abuser, a former housing supervisor at Hickey. One of the plaintiffs in that case said that as the abuse escalated, he started to avoid properly cleaning himself to become less desirable. He later spent decades struggling with addiction and mental health issues. He said suing the state "even now felt like I was snitching."
According to the Associated Press (AP), Jones said that while he was at the Maryland Training School for Boys, a staff member repeatedly sexually assaulted him while another kept watch. A slew of recent lawsuits alleging widespread misconduct in Maryland's juvenile detention facilities states that the detention officers would corner children in dark spaces and bribe them with extra snacks and other special treatment.
Jones is among thousands of people seeking accountability under a new state law that eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. The new law was passed in 2023 and now Maryland lawmakers are scrambling to address the unexpected onslaught of cases targeting the state's juvenile justice system. They're worried the current state budget will not be able to support a potential payout.
Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services submitted a statement to the AP, saying, "DJS takes allegations of sexual abuse of children in our care with utmost seriousness and we are working hard to provide decent, humane and rehabilitative environments for youth committed to the Department. We do not comment on pending litigation."
Maryland lawmakers passed the Child Victims Act in the immediate aftermath of a scathing investigative report that revealed widespread abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Before its passage, victims couldn't sue after they turned 38.
To protect its assets, the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy. State leaders, however, did not anticipate they would be facing similar budgetary concerns. Lawmakers are now considering new legislation to shield the state financially. According to lawyers involved, an estimated 6,000 people have retained attorneys and new complaints keep pouring in.
In addition to monetary damages, plaintiffs want mandated reform of Maryland's juvenile justice system. A 2004 Justice Department report found a "deeply disturbing degree of physical abuse" at the facility where Jones was detained, now called the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School. The state closed Hickey's youth treatment program in 2005, but it's still operating as a youth detention center.
Many other facilities named in the lawsuits have already been closed and state leaders have strengthened oversight in recent years. The state has also focused on detaining fewer youths.
The Maryland lawsuits paint a particularly disturbing picture and it wasn't just select facilities or a small group of abusive staff members, it was statewide and persisted for decades, as noted by the attorneys involved. The lawsuit states that the abuse was often a poorly kept secret, but the system repeatedly failed to stop it.
In a complaint filed earlier in March, 69 people brought claims against the same abuser, a former housing supervisor at Hickey. One of the plaintiffs in that case said that as the abuse escalated, he started to avoid properly cleaning himself to become less desirable. He later spent decades struggling with addiction and mental health issues. He said suing the state "even now felt like I was snitching."
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Comments
2 days ago | Comment by: Dean
Sounds to me like a bunch of lifelong lowlifes are getting on the "pay me now bus".Once again a idiot Democrat run state put it's foot in its mouth .I personally hope it costs the state of Maryland 100 billion,lol The people of that state deserve this misery for electing morons to office.They are now officially going to suffer just like Cali and n.y..SWEET!!
2 days ago | Comment by: KMH
2005? Thousands of reports of abuse? In one tiny state? I remember back then when claims were made the survivors were shamed into silence. Delaware home of the former pedo in chief should be sued into receivership and let Virginia take it. We are surrounded by deviants.