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Hundreds of formerly incarcerated inmates are suing the state of New York for failing to protect them while they were in custody, per ABC 7.
According to various lawsuits, about 750 victims have said they are survivors of sexual assault that occurred at prisons across New York, including Bayview Correctional Facility, Rikers Island, and Bedford Hills, as far back as the 1980s.
Mia Wheeler was among the three victims who were the first to come forward as survivors.
"The officer first befriended me. And after the sexual assaults occurred, he let me know in no uncertain terms that we share the same borough and that if I would tell, that I would reap the repercussions," Wheeler said.
The lawsuits are being brought under the Adults Survivor Act (ASA), which allows survivors to sue for civil damages regardless of the statute of limitations. The ASA was introduced by State Senator Brad Hoylman and will take effect beginning next week on Thanksgiving.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Adam Slater have been retained to represent a number of the victims.
"All of these women have suffered in silence for not just years but decades," Crump said during a press conference discussing the lawsuits.
The attorneys said the formerly incarcerated women were sentenced to a lifetime of trauma.
"New York State knew for decades about the rampant sexual abuse," Slater said, noting a 1985 report that detailed the abuse of female inmates at Bayview.
Sex abuse survivor Sadie Bell wants the prison system to implement changes such as having only female officers work with female inmates and other policies that are long overdue.
"I was raped and impregnated by a correction officer. And I just want the truth to be told," Bell said.
The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision issued the following statement:
"DOCCS has zero tolerance for sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and unauthorized relationships. The Department thoroughly investigates all reports of sexual victimization, including unauthorized relationships, and retaliation against any individuals who report incidents or cooperate with those investigations. Staff have an affirmative duty to report any knowledge, suspicion, or information regarding an incident of sexual abuse or sexual harassment, and any unauthorized relationship. Individuals who violate Department rules are disciplined by the Department and when there is evidence that a crime was committed, DOCCS refers those cases for criminal prosecution to the fullest extent permitted by law."
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