Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
You have legal rights and options to seek justice and accountability if you have experienced physical or sexual abuse while incarcerated in a Florida juvenile detention center.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
- Physical and sexual abuse at Florida juvenile detention centers and youth rehabilitation centers has been a well-documented problem for years. However, little to nothing has been done to prevent future harm to incarcerated youth.
- If you experienced abuse in a state-run juvenile detention center or a privately-run youth rehabilitation center in Florida, you have legal rights and options.
- Your legal rights and options include the opportunity to report the abuse to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and law enforcement and eligibility to file a civil lawsuit to seek monetary compensation for the harm you endured.
Overview of Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
Physical and sexual abuse within state-run and privately operated Florida juvenile detention and youth rehabilitation centers has been a problem for years. However, the government and facility operators have done little to help those impacted and to prevent future harm from happening.
In 2017, The Miami Herald published a report exposing the abusive and cruel conditions in these facilities. The article covered allegations that correctional officers physically beat incarcerated youths, even paying them to fight each other. However, the article reported that this was just the tip of the iceberg of the physical and sexual abuse happening at Florida juvenile detention facilities.
Studies have shown that youth detention facilities often have higher rates of sexual violence than adult correctional facilities.
A report from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics published in December 2019 revealed over 20 percent increases in sexual victimization rates at the three juvenile residential facilities in Florida:
- Liberty Juvenile Unit for Specialized Treatment – 26 percent
- Hastings Comprehensive Mental Health Treatment Program – 22 percent
- Gulf Academy – 21 percent
Media reports have shown that many incarcerated juveniles have been abused by untrained or problematic staff members overseeing these facilities. Many of the staff involved had criminal records for violent crimes, histories of disciplinary actions, or previous terminations. While some correctional officers and staff members who caused harm have faced criminal charges, others have not faced any criminal prosecution, including some who, by all media accounts, murdered the young people in their care.
If you or a family member has experienced sexual abuse while incarcerated at a Florida juvenile detention center, you have legal rights and options. You can report the abuse to the state oversight board and may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit and seek monetary compensation for the harm.
Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Examples
Over the years, dozens of news reports have exposed the severe and pervasive abuse happening at public and private Florida juvenile detention and rehabilitation centers.
Instances of physical and sexual abuse in Florida youth detention centers may include the following:
- Death
- Physical abuse, including kicking, punching, and instigating, encouraging, or paying others to engage in physical abuse
- Sexual assault
- Rape
- Use of excessive force
- Strangulation
- Inappropriate, unnecessary, and excessive strip searches
- Exposure to pornographic material
- Indecent exposure
- Voyeurism, including watching or filming intimate acts without consent or knowledge
- Requests or being forced to produce pornographic material, including explicit photos and videos
- Solicitation of sexual acts in exchange for drugs, money, food, or other items
- Use of coercion or threats
- Failure to investigate reports of sexual or physical abuse
- Retaliation against individuals who report physical or sexual abuse
A majority of sexual abuse within detention facilities is perpetrated by staff members, including correctional officers, police officers, guards, medical staff, or others. However, there are also high rates of abuse by fellow inmates, including violence encouraged by staff members.
If you have experienced any form of physical or sexual abuse while detained at a Florida juvenile detention facility, you have legal rights and options, even if the harm happened years ago or the facility has since closed. Your options include filing a complaint with the state oversight board, filing a civil lawsuit, and filing a report with law enforcement to start a criminal investigation.
We are here to listen and advocate for you.
List of Florida Juvenile Detention Centers
If you or a loved one has experienced abuse at any of these facilities, contact us as soon as possible to explore your rights and options.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice oversees 21 state-operated facilities divided into three regions.
The following are the state-run juvenile detention facilities in Florida
- Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Brevard Juvenile Detention Center
- Broward Juvenile Detention Center
- Collier Juvenile Detention Center
- Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Escambia Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Hillsborough Juvenile Detention Center West
- Leon Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Marion Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Miami Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Monroe Juvenile Detention Center
- Okaloosa Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Orange Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Palm Beach Juvenile Detention Center
- Pasco Juvenile Detention Center
- Pinellas Juvenile Detention Center
- St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- SW Florida Regional Juvenile Detention Center
- Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center
In addition, Florida currently has 38 privately run residential facilities for incarcerated youths. These privately-run facilities also have a long history of abuse and harm happening to the youth under their care.
The following are the privately owned juvenile rehabilitation centers in Florida
- Alachua Academy
- AMI Kids Polk Inc.
- Britt Technical Youth Academy
- Broward Youth Treatment Center
- Center for Success and Independence – Ocala
- Columbus Youth Academy
- Crestview Youth Academy BDD/DD Nonsecure Program
- Crestview Youth Academy Substance Abuse Secure Program
- Cypress Creek Juvenile Offender Correctional Center / Cypress Creek Treatment Center
- Daytona Juvenile Residential Facility
- Deep Creek YA Comprehensive Intensive Mental Health / Deep Creek YA BDD/DD
- Deep Creek Youth Academy
- DOVE Academy
- Duval Academy
- Escambia Boys Base
- Everglades Youth Academy
- Everglades Youth Academy Sex Offender Program
- Fort Myers Academy
- Hillsborough Girls Academy
- Jacksonville Youth Academy
- JoAnn Bridges Academy
- Juvenile Unit for Specialized Treatment, or JUST
- Kissimmee Youth Academy
- Kissimmee Youth Academy-BDD/DD
- Les Peters Academy
- Miami Youth Academy
- Oak Grove Academy
- Okaloosa Sexual Offender Program
- Okaloosa Youth Academy
- Orange Youth Academy / Orange Youth Academy Substance Abuse
- Orlando Intensive Youth Academy
- Palm Beach Youth Academy / Palm Beach YA Substance Abuse
- South Florida Youth Academy
- St. Augustine Youth Academy
- Tampa Residential Facility
- Twin Oaks Academy II
- Walton Academy for Growth and Change
- Wimauma Academy
Whether you recently experienced harm or it happened years ago at a now-shuttered facility, you still have legal rights and options. However, they may differ depending on the facts and circumstances, including the Florida criminal and civil statute of limitations.
Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse: Legal Rights & Options
In general, you have the right to report the abuse to the state oversight board, speak to the media, and report to law enforcement. You may also have the right to file a civil lawsuit and seek monetary compensation for the harm you have suffered.
If a still-incarcerated youth tells you about abuse at a detention or rehabilitation center, there are steps you can take to ensure their safety. They will likely fear reporting the abuse, given the alleged history of guard abuse and retaliation within these facilities.
A trusted adult can assist by exploring the individual’s rights and options while trying to reduce further harm to the individual. We strongly advise you to consult an experienced attorney who can help protect the person from retaliation while providing clarity on their rights and available options.
File a Civil Lawsuit for Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
If you have experienced sexual abuse at a Florida juvenile detention or rehabilitation center, you may be eligible to file a civil lawsuit or participate in an existing lawsuit against the state, the facility, the private facility operator, and the perpetrator.
A civil lawsuit enables an individual to seek monetary damages for the harm they experienced. Florida has previously settled lawsuits filed against them by formerly incarcerated youth, including $20 million to provide compensation to approximately 400 victims of sexual abuse that occurred at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in North Florida in the 1950s and early 1960s.
A key factor in eligibility to pursue a civil lawsuit is the civil statute of limitations—a law that imposes the deadline for filing a lawsuit.
The Florida civil statute of limitations can be complicated, and the applicable deadline depends on various factors that only an experienced attorney should evaluate.
Florida has no statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse under 16 years old. Victims who were under 16 when the harm occurred can file suit at any time.
However, if the victim was a minor over age 16 at the time of sexual abuse, a lawsuit must be filed by one of the following deadlines:
- Seven years after turning 18 years old
- Four years after leaving the dependency of the abuser
- Four years after discovering the injuries and the link to child sexual abuse
Even if you believe the statute of limitations has expired, you should still contact us. We can connect you with an experienced attorney who can evaluate your case’s specific circumstances.
You can still likely file a civil lawsuit even if the facility has closed, the perpetrator is deceased, or the private rehabilitation center has changed owners. A civil lawsuit can also be filed even if the perpetrator never faced criminal charges.
You may have grounds to file a Florida juvenile detention center sexual abuse lawsuit if you meet the following criteria:
- You were sexually abused by a corrections officer, guard, medical professional, or other staff member.
- The abuse took place at a state-run juvenile detention facility or a privately operated youth rehabilitation center.
In a Florida juvenile detention center sexual abuse lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for the following damages:
- Past and future medical and mental health expenses, including therapy and medications
- Emotional distress and psychological harm
- Lost wages and income
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Other economic and non-economic damages
- Punitive damages
We can connect you with an experienced attorney who can provide a free consultation to help you evaluate your case and understand the process of filing a sexual abuse lawsuit.
Every lawyer we work with takes such cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs for speaking to a lawyer or filing a lawsuit – they only get paid if and when they recover compensation for you.
If you have questions about these options or want to speak with an experienced Florida juvenile detention center abuse lawyer, contact us today.
We are here to listen and advocate for you.
Report Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse to the State Oversight Agency
At any point, you have a right to file a complaint with the state oversight agencies responsible for protecting the youth under the state’s care.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, or FDJJ, oversees all state-run and privately owned facilities. It offers an incident reporting line at 1-800-355-2280.
Complaints can also be faxed or mailed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, Office of Inspector General, at the following:
- Fax: (850) 414-7182
- Mailing address: 2737 Centerview Drive Tallahassee, FL 32399-3100
If you file a complaint, any communications with the organization should be in writing, and you should seek consent to record any phone conversations.
Please note: We strongly recommend consulting a Florida juvenile detention center abuse lawyer before contacting any official agency. A lawyer can help protect your rights in this process.
Report Florida Juvenile Detention Center Abuse to Law Enforcement
We understand that filing a report with law enforcement can be particularly challenging for survivors of juvenile detention center abuse. The facility was supposed to protect you and help rehabilitate you. However, your stay at the facility only resulted in more harm.
If you choose to file a report with law enforcement, this will start a criminal investigation against the individual perpetrator. Before filing a report, we recommend writing down everything you can remember about the abuse, including dates, times, those involved, what happened, and any information about potential evidence, including security camera recordings, witnesses, or people you told immediately following the incident.
Numerous factors influence prosecutors’ ability to prosecute a crime. However, we encourage those who feel safe doing so to file a report.
The Florida criminal statute of limitations is favorable to survivors. Most sexual offenses against minors do not have a statute of limitations, meaning charges can be filed at any time.
Prosecutors’ ability to press charges depends on a long list of factors that are mostly out of the victim’s control. However, filing a report can not only result in criminal charges, but it can also create a paper trail documenting the abuse by a perpetrator. This documentation will be valuable if you pursue a civil lawsuit and can help others who come forward.
If you have questions about filing a police report regarding sexual abuse at a juvenile detention center in Florida or any other questions, contact us today. A trained advocate will be here to help.
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