Joliet's Closed Youth Center Had 21% Sex Assault Rate, Report Says

The Illinois Youth Center-Joliet, which was closed earlier this year, had one of the highest number of sexual assaults in the country, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Statistics show that more than one in five juveniles at the facility on McDonough Road -- 21 percent -- had either been raped by a fellow inmate or had sexual contact with an adult staff member, a story in the Chicago Tribune said.

The number was more than double the national average, according to a report entitled Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth report.

Ninety percent of the staff sexual misconduct cases involved female employees, the story said. In a third, staff members "made the first move" and in another third, force or threats were involved.

The 344-bed facility was closed in February by Gov. Pat Quinn in a cost-saving measure.