Illinois DCFS Accused Of Letting Kids Languish In Jail
CHICAGO — Illinois’ child welfare agency is accused of stranding more than 80 kids in juvenile jail despite the fact they could’ve been released.
That’s according to a federal lawsuit filed against the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services by private attorneys who were joined by Cook County’s public guardian.
“It feels horrible,” said Janiah Caine, who was in DCFS care when she said she was sent to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and forced to stay there long after a judge said she was eligible for release. “It feels like nobody cares about you when they were supposed to be the people to get me out of a bad situation, but they put me in another bad situation.”
The federal lawsuit claims it’s happened to more than 80 children in the past year with those kids spending an average of 40 extra days locked up.
Attorney Joseph A. Padula-Zamora
