Michigan Juvenile Detention Center Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Survivors of sex abuse in Michigan juvenile detention facilities have options for holding the responsible parties accountable and seeking compensation.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- Recent lawsuits and investigations have revealed that Michigan’s juvenile justice system is plagued by physical and sexual abuse of incarcerated youths.
- Numerous juvenile detention facilities and operators in Michigan are currently facing lawsuits related to the alleged sexual abuse of minor inmates, including the Wolverine Secure Treatment Center and Muskegon River Youth Home.
- If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while detained at a Michigan juvenile detention center, even if it was years ago, you have legal rights and options for seeking accountability.
In Michigan, survivors of sexual abuse at juvenile detention centers have rights and legal options to hold the perpetrators and enablers of the abuse accountable for the harm they caused—even if the responsible parties are government entities or employees. Though many of the state’s juvenile facilities are privately owned, many are operated by individual counties or the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. By filing a civil juvenile detention center sex abuse lawsuit, Michigan survivors may be able to recover compensation for their suffering.
Juvenile Detention Center Abuse in Michigan: An Overview
Numerous investigations and lawsuits over conditions at juvenile detention facilities in Michigan have revealed that young detainees often suffer abuse by staff members, with a particularly high rate of reported sexual abuse.
A recent civil rights investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice found that Michigan’s youth correctional facilities had some of the highest reported rates of sexual abuse in the country.
Not only do Michigan juvenile detention facilities have high rates of abuse and other unsafe living conditions, but the state has a history of retaliation against whistleblowers. In October 2025, a former director of Wayne County’s juvenile jail and two colleagues were fired after raising safety concerns about how the facility houses juveniles. The former employees had pushed back on an order by a superior to consolidate housing by placing non-violent offenders with those accused or convicted of violent crimes to reduce the area the staff had to cover.
The fired employees have filed a lawsuit against the county over the terminations.
Examples of Michigan Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
Youth in detention centers in Michigan and across the country are often subjected to various forms of abuse, including the following and more:
- Physical violence
- Excessive force
- Intentional deprivation of medical care
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual exploitation
- Sexual harassment
- Exchanging sex for privileges
- Grooming
- Threats of consequences for denying sexual advances
Lawsuits filed against numerous juvenile detention facilities in Michigan have alleged rampant physical and sexual abuse by staff, as well as abuse by other juvenile inmates
List of Juvenile Detention Centers in Michigan
The Michigan Juvenile Detention Association includes 25 juvenile detention agencies across the state, two of which are now closed. The state has roughly 1,400 youth in juvenile justice facilities. As of 2026, Michigan’s active juvenile detention centers include:
- Allegan County Juvenile Detention Center
- Bay County Juvenile Home
- Bay Pines Center
- Berrien County Juvenile Center
- Calhoun County Juvenile Home
- Eaton County Youth Facility
- Genesee County Juvenile Justice Center
- Ingham County Youth Center
- Jackson County Youth Center
- Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home
- Kent County Juvenile Detention
- Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center
- Maurice Spear Campus
- Michigan Youth Treatment Center
- Midland County Juvenile Care Center
- Monroe County Youth Center
- Muskegon County Juvenile Transition Center
- Muskegon River Youth Home (now known as Osceola Youth Center)
- Oakland County Children’s Village
- Ottawa County Juvenile Detention
- Saginaw County Juvenile Detention
- Shawono Center (now closed)
- Washtenaw County Youth Center
- Wayne County Juvenile Detention
- Wolverine Secure Treatment Center (now closed)
Recent Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Lawsuits in Michigan
Muskegon River Youth Home - 2025
In April 2025, a man sued the operators of a juvenile detention center in Osceola County, alleging that center staff physically and sexually abused him when he was 15. Jermichael Brown Jr. was placed at Muskegon River Youth Home, now known as the Osceola Youth Center, in 2019.
Wolverine Secure Treatment Center - 2024
In May 2024, 14 teenagers filed a lawsuit for alleged sexual abuse by staff at a state-licensed detention and rehabilitation center in Saginaw County before it closed in 2021. The lawsuit alleges that staff at the Wolverine Secure Treatment Center in Buena Vista Township repeatedly preyed on 13 boys and a girl. Wolverine Human Services operated the 100-bed center. State regulators proposed revoking its license in 2021, citing aggressive restraints and other violations, and while WHS disputed the action, it closed the center.
Wayne County Juvenile Detention - 2024
In January 2024, a state investigation into Wayne County’s juvenile detention facility revealed that county employees failed to protect a 12-year-old boy from repeated abuse by other detainees in 2023. The facility has historically faced severe staffing shortages, leaving youth unsupervised for long periods.
Michigan Department of Corrections - 2020
In January 2020, the Michigan Department of Corrections agreed to pay $80 million to resolve a class action lawsuit filed by people who were housed in adult detention facilities as juveniles, subjecting them to sexual assault and other harm. The lawsuit involved allegations by 12 prisoners who said they were sexually abused by guards and adult prisoners with whom they were housed. The class consisted of an estimated 1,300 total plaintiffs who had been housed in adult facilities as children since 2010.
Michigan’s Laws on Juvenile Detention Center Abuse
Victims of juvenile detention center sexual abuse in Michigan may be eligible to file civil lawsuits to hold the responsible parties accountable and pursue compensation for their losses, including medical bills, therapy costs, lost opportunities, emotional trauma, pain, suffering, and more.
Under Michigan law, people who experienced childhood sexual abuse have until their 28th birthday to file a lawsuit for damages, or within three years of discovering injuries caused by the abuse, whichever occurs later. For non-sexual physical abuse or neglect, victims generally have until they turn 19 to file suit.
An Experienced Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Lawyer Can Help Today
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual abuse while detained in a juvenile detention facility in Michigan, you have legal rights and options for holding the responsible parties accountable. An experienced juvenile detention sexual abuse lawyer can guide you in the right direction toward justice and healing, providing unwavering support throughout the legal process.
At Helping Survivors, our mission is to help heal, educate, and empower survivors of sexual assault and abuse by informing them of their rights and options, providing resources, and connecting them with our partner law firms. These firms have the experience, knowledge, and skill to assist survivors in filing civil lawsuits against the individuals, institutions, and organizations that perpetrated and enabled their abuse.
Contact us today to learn more about your rights and get connected with legal assistance.
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