Levy Konigsberg Files New Lawsuits Over Taconic Correctional Facility Staff-on-Inmate Sex Abuse

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May 24, 2023, 15:43 ET

Levy Konigsberg, a NY-based civil trial practice, has filed nearly a dozen new lawsuits on behalf of former female inmates who say that they were sexually abused by prison staff.

NEW YORK, May 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Levy Konigsberg has filed 10 new prison sexual abuse lawsuits on behalf of women who claim that they were sexually abused by correctional officers and prison staff while incarcerated at Taconic Correctional Facility, a women's prison in Bedford Hills, New York.

The claims were filed in the State of New York Court of Claims and are part of a growing number of cases the firm is filing for survivors who say they were abused at jails and prisons across the state.

About the Claims

The lawsuits were filed against the State of New York, which operates the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).

They claim that the women were sexually harassed, assaulted, and abused by correctional officers and other prison staff while incarcerated at Taconic, and that DOCCS knew of the abuse but failed to act.

Other claims and points of interest in the lawsuits:

Officers and prison staff used intimidation and threats of retaliation – including additional prison time, solitary confinement, and transfer to other facilities – to keep victims silent.
Prison staff routinely offered female inmates contraband or extra privileges in exchange for sexual favors.
Inmates in custody of the state cannot legally consent to sexual contact with prison staff, making any sexual acts between inmates and staff a crime.

The suits also raise allegations that the DOCCS was "aware that sexual harassment, exploitation, and assault of inmates by correctional officers was a persistent and prevalent problem in its women's prisons." Despite this knowledge, they claim, DOCCS negligently failed to protect inmates from abuse, supervise its officers, and report known or suspected abuse as required by law.

The claims are supported by evidence of investigations and documentation dating back to as early as 1982. This includes investigations which found that DOCCS women's prisons had the highest rates of staff-on-inmate sexual abuse in the nation, as well as various lawsuits and criminal proceedings against officers and other staff accused of sexual abuse in its facilities.

Claims Filed Under the NY Adult Survivors Act

These and other prison staff-on-inmate sex abuse claims were filed pursuant to the New York Adult Survivors Act, a groundbreaking law that created a temporary one-year lookback window for individuals to file claims over sexual abuse that occurred when they were adults. It applies to abusive acts that occurred at any time in the past and allows plaintiffs to sue institutions that failed to protect them.

Under the Adult Survivors Act, the temporary lookback window runs from November 24, 2022 to November 24, 2023.

Firm Says More Prison Sex Abuse Suits on the Horizon

Levy Konigsberg's recent Taconic Correctional Facility claims are just the latest in a months-long onslaught of legal filings over New York's rampant female prison sexual abuse problem.

Since last November, when the Survivors Act's one-year lookback window went into effect, the firm has filed hundreds of claims alleging abuse at other New York jails and prisons, including Bayview Correctional Facility, Riker's Island (Rosie's), Albion Correctional, Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional, Bedford Hills Correctional, and more.

According to the firm's attorneys, they're representing a growing number of former female inmates and plan to file additional lawsuits through the coming months before the Act's temporary window expires on November 24.

Levy Konigsberg is a U.S. News "Best Law Firms" ranked civil trial practice with a reputation for taking on some of the country's most complex and high-stakes claims. Led by award-winning trial lawyers, the firm has recovered over $3 billion in compensation in cases involving sexual abuse, asbestos and tobacco litigation, products liability, and other civil claims. For more information, visit: www.levylaw.com.

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SOURCE Levy Konigsberg