ATONEMENT

Michigan to Pay $80M to Boys Who Were Sexually Abused in Prison

Hundreds of male juvenile prisoners sued the state, alleging they were sexually abused while they were housed with adult inmates.

The state of Michigan has agreed to pay an $80 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by juvenile prisoners who said the Department of Corrections allowed them to be sexually abused while incarcerated. Hundreds of male juvenile prisoners sued the state in several lawsuits filed over seven years, alleging they were sexually abused between 2010 and early 2020 while they were housed with adult inmates. The state agreed last month to settle the case after arguing for years that there was insufficient evidence of any abuse happening. Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Department of Corrections said in a joint statement Thursday that they had “taken proactive steps to address issues raised in the lawsuit and, through the settlement agreement, has agreed to additional measures.” The state will pay $25 million immediately with the rest being paid over two years.