CHICAGO (CBS) -- Youngsters from abused and uncared for households are taken in by the state's little one welfare division with a promise of being saved secure. However a lawsuit filed Thursday challenges how secure the Illinois Division of Youngsters and Household Providers is admittedly holding among the state's most weak youngsters, CBS Chicago's Chris Tye experiences.
The go well with highlights the story of how the system left one lady locked up.
The identical occurred to dozens of different youngsters who had been positioned behind bars regardless of by no means having finished something improper, the go well with asserts.
Why had been they there? The rationale, the go well with says, was that the state was out of placement beds.
And now, Tye says, victims are out of persistence.
"They do not care about me," stated Janiah Cane, 18. "They do not need to assist me out of this horrible place."
The primary "horrible place" Caine ended up was Prepare dinner County Juvenile Courtroom.
Caine was a minor when she entered Household Courtroom – a relative had turned violent. A sufferer of kid abuse, she was requested to talk the reality about her abuser in trade for defense by DCFS.
"Once I was advised ... 'I'll hold you secure,' I'd anticipate you to maintain me secure," Caine stated, "and in that place, I did not really feel secure."
Caine then ended up in one other "horrible place" – behind bars on the Prepare dinner County Juvenile Non permanent Detention Heart. Earlier than it was over, she would spend 166 nights there.
"Typically I even really feel like they wished me in there, as a result of I used to be in there so lengthy," Caine stated in disgust.
She had finished nothing improper. The rationale she was within the lockup was as a result of DCFS was out of beds, the lawsuit claims.
"I do not know," Caine stated. "It is quite a lot of feelings and emotions that you just really feel - as a result of no one desires to be in a horrible place like that, the place you are combating ladies."
When she requested for a short lived launch to attend her grandmother's funeral, her caseworker could not be discovered - and she or he missed it.
"They had been taking so lengthy to search out my DCFS case employee as a result of no one knew the place she was," Caine stated. "I felt horrible. I felt so many feelings, like anger, unhappiness - as a result of I cherished her a lot."
This go well with tells the story of Caine and eight different youngsters who spent wherever from 45 days to 6 months wrongfully incarcerated.
Michael spent 45 days, David 86 days, Jordan 150 days, James 240 days, Kate greater than three months, John 5 and a half months, Elliot greater than six months, and Thomas greater than seven months, in line with Tye.
As of Thursday night, seven youngsters had been nonetheless locked up once they should not have been, Prepare dinner County Public Guardian Charles Golbert stated. They've logged over 239 days underneath lock and key regardless of doing nothing improper, he stated.
This, even if a decide has ordered the youngsters launched again to their caregivers.
"They depart their youngsters to rot in detention when a decide has ordered them out," Golbert stated.
"If DCFS continues to have these insurance policies that damage kids, then they are going to pay - and they'll pay till they cease doing it and it by no means occurs once more to a different little one," stated lawyer Russell Ainsworth.
Ainsworth stated a jury will find yourself deciding what the greenback determine ought to be - however the coverage of locking youngsters up prices tons of of hundreds greater than correctly staffing placement services would.
"As we communicate, there are literally empty beds in placements - as a result of the placements aren't being paid sufficient cash to be absolutely staffed," Golbert stated.
Caine stated the failures within the DCFS system run from up excessive all the way in which down the road.
"They by no means do their job," Caine stated. "There have been instances that they've left me - not simply jail, different locations which might be horrible that you just get handled improper and stuff like that."
Caine walked out from behind the bars behind which she did not belong - and now hopes the lawsuit modifications insurance policies and improves the lives of future youngsters dealt life's hardest hand.
"Everyone in there ought to be free," Caine stated. "It may be about their life - get a job, do one thing with their life as a substitute of simply sitting in jail."
She hopes the lawsuit prompts modifications and protects different youngsters.
"I hope that they do not must undergo this, and the individuals after them do not must undergo this," Caine stated.
Tye reached out to DCFS for touch upon the lawsuit. The company issued this assertion:
"The Division of Youngsters and Household Providers works as shortly as doable to position youth in acceptable and secure settings. After all, we will solely place youth the place we now have availability that meets their wants, which is why the division can also be working to develop the capability that was hollowed out underneath earlier administrations. Because of this work, in recent times we now have made progress in decreasing the variety of youth who stay within the justice system previous the date they're allowed to be launched and we're deeply dedicated to continued progress. We can not remark additional resulting from pending litigation."