Illinois Youth Center - Harrisburg
Illinois Youth Center Harrisburg is a remote medium-security juvenile detention facility in southern Illinois. Its isolation from families and oversight failures created conditions where abuse persisted for decades. DOJ reports showed sexual victimization rates rose from 11.8% to 14.7%.
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About IYC Harrisburg
Illinois Youth Center Harrisburg is a medium-security Level 2 facility operated by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ). Located near the Kentucky border in Saline County, the remote facility opened in July 1983 and has a capacity of 332 male youth inmates.
The facility provides educational services, GED programs, vocational training, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services. However, federal investigations and survivor lawsuits have revealed that these programs were sometimes misused as opportunities for abuse rather than rehabilitation.
The Department of Justice's National Survey of Youth in Custody found alarming rates of abuse at Illinois Youth Centers, including Harrisburg. The facility's remote location in southern Illinois created additional barriers to oversight and family visits, allowing abuse to persist.
Lawsuits have named specific perpetrators, including a former IYC Harrisburg supervisor who allegedly repeatedly sexually abused multiple youth during the 2000s. This individual is now the mayor of a nearby town—illustrating how perpetrators often faced no consequences for their actions.
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice - Official
IYC-Harrisburg serves as one of the secure medium-security Level 2 facilities for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. IYC-Harrisburg provides a broad range of services to youth incarcerated at the facility including remedial and secondary education, a GED program, library services, vocational training, guidance and work training programs.
Source: IDJJ Official Website
DOJ Bureau of Justice Statistics Investigation
Sexual victimization rates at IYC Harrisburg rose from 11.8% to 14.7%. The DOJ report led to state legislative hearings and investigations, uncovering a high rate of reported abuse primarily by staff members. These findings demonstrate a troubling pattern of systemic neglect and lack of oversight.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics
Types of Abuse Reported
Sexual Abuse by Staff
Sexual assault and exploitation by correctional officers, supervisors, nurses, therapists, and other staff.
Coercion and Threats
Abuse accompanied by threats of physical harm, retaliation, or extended confinement.
Isolation from Support
Remote location posed barriers to family visits and legal representation.
Failure to Investigate
Complaints ignored, abusers protected, and victims silenced for years.
Your Legal Options
If you were abused at IYC Harrisburg, you may be entitled to compensation. Illinois has eliminated the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving childhood sexual abuse, meaning survivors can come forward whenever they are ready.
There is no cost to file a claim. We work on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win your case.
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