For decades, abuse inside juvenile detention centers, immigration detention facilities, and adult correctional institutions went uninvestigated and uncompensated. That is changing. New state laws — including New York's Child Victims Act and California's AB 218 — have reopened statutes of limitations for survivors of childhood institutional abuse. Federal civil rights laws give survivors of ICE and federal detention abuse a path to court. If you survived sexual abuse, physical abuse, medical neglect, or other serious mistreatment inside one of these facilities, an experienced attorney can help you understand your options.
A combination of new state laws, federal civil rights claims, and a growing willingness to believe survivors has reshaped what's possible in detention abuse cases.
Investigative reporting, lawsuits, and federal investigations have exposed systemic abuse at institutions like Glen Mills Schools, juvenile detention centers across multiple states, and several ICE detention facilities. Survivors who once couldn't speak now can — and the legal system is increasingly on their side.
Several states have passed look-back laws giving survivors of childhood institutional sexual abuse renewed time to file claims, even for decades-old abuse. Examples include New York's Child Victims Act, New Jersey's similar reform, and California's AB 218. Eligibility depends on where the abuse occurred and when.
Survivors of sexual or physical abuse in ICE custody can bring claims under federal civil rights and tort statutes, including the Federal Tort Claims Act and constitutional claims against individual officers.
These cases require a different kind of intake. The attorneys we work with are trained to take survivor histories with care, in confidence, and at the pace the survivor chooses — without pressure to share more than you're ready to share.
You may have a claim if any of the following apply:
Not sure if your situation qualifies? Request a free, confidential review or call +1 (530) 349-7939.
We work with attorneys who actually litigate institutional-abuse cases — lawyers who know the look-back statutes in each state and how to investigate decades-old facilities and records.
You set the pace. Our intake team is trained to listen — not push. You don't have to share everything to start. You only have to be willing to take a first step.
Detention abuse claims are handled on contingency. You pay no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless your case results in a settlement or verdict.
Settlements fund therapy, recognize survivor experiences as real, and force institutional change. We're focused on accountability and outcomes — not just intake numbers.
You're in control of what you share and when. There's no obligation. If your case qualifies, we'll connect you with an attorney who handles survivor cases with care.
