The Michigan Department of Corrections will pay $80 million to settle a lawsuit with former juvenile offenders who claimed they were sexually abused in Michigan prisons between October 2010 and February 2020, state officials said Thursday.
Pending final approval April 9, the state will pay $25 million immediately, $15 million by October, $25 million by October 2021 and $15 million by October 2022.
Buy PhotoMichigan officials have settled a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by former juvenile offenders for $80 million. (Photo: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News)
State corrections officials and Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office announced the settlement with the individuals in a press release after Washtenaw County Judge Carol Kuhnke signed Thursday an order of preliminary approval.
The settlement would be the largest since the department reached a $100 million resolution in a 1996 case, Neal v. Michigan Department of Corrections, in which female prisoners alleged a pattern of sexual misconduct and harassment related to the supervision of female prisoners by male officers.
The department agreed to a $100 million settlement in the Neal case in 2009, and distributed the payments to plaintiffs between 2010 and 2015.
Government action and inaction is all about protecting the children…not…
Michigan should have to pay everyone they violated (ex post facto) for years & years by retroactive punishment with out a judge or jury applying the registry too thousands of citizens after a sentence , All done with the stroke of a politicians pen. I hope they get what they got coming to them !
@R33 and @TnT,
That would actually be nice, becaue in a way it is a wrongful conviction, since a Judge never sentenced most of us to the registry. and at $50,000 a year per person, the State would hopefully learn a valuable lesson.
Look at all the money they have to pay out for these wrongful murder convictions, so just imagine if they had to compensate us as well. 28×50,000= 1.4 million for me I could live with that, but we will never be compensated, they will just say something like just be thankful your off the registry now and move on.
There is 42 USC 1982, and the prosecutors have already admitted they would lose hands down.
Everyone knows the registry is punitive and by applying it retroactively is punitive damage, they only got away with applying it by saying it was civil , LMAO …. We all know that’s another B.S lie & with a federal judge agreeing it is punitive as well as the states top law enforcement officer agreeing , I do not know why lawyers are not lining up to pound this state hard, Michigan has gotten away with this unjust abuse of power being applied to thousands of citizens retroactively in a lot of cases like ours, years after a sentence with out a judge or jury ever even knowing we were put on this registry, this is in most cases years after we have served our sentence we were given . I received a 1 to 3 year sentence in 1992 when I was 20 … S.O.B …. there wasn’t even a list , NO REGISTRY WHEN I WAS SENTENCED ! I am 48 and was forced on this registry in 95 by rogue politicians & amendments that are punitive & retroactive to thousands of people who have served their sentence , I myself have spent 25 years on a registry that a judge doesn’t even know I was placed on , this is how dirty our state is, I am not alone , I hope they get their asses smoked for this B.S Michigan you deserve to PAY everyone you violated !
Who got convicted for sexual abuse of a child? Which government workers are now registered?
@ Anonymous….Exactly !!! NONE !! … they got Money ! Ours ! …. They are dirty !
I also have to go into register, in the next couple of days. I always go in at the begining of the month, to get it over with I will let everyone know what the secretary /clerk tells me. I hope I get the same news that Chris received. I guess I will see on Monday or Tuesday.
Wow I can’t believe it may actually be over. Also for what’s it’s worth. I’m teir 3, and was 13 at the time, charged at 14 as an adult in 98. For whatever reason, I have been off of Michigan’s registry list online for last month or two. I keep searching, I’m not on it. Still registered last month and took my money tho, also said I should be coming off. I just don’t know why or how I be not on state site anymore. I’m on old copycat sites still, with old info that not been updated in yrs. While thing is strange.
Rly want to celebrate, when you think we will get a notice?
@ Chris Great News ! Hard too Belive but I do belive you it just seems so unreal ! Again thanks for the updates ! 🙂 Maybe have a reason too live !
On a tangent of suing a state, registrants, and prison, I wonder if Janice and ACSOL will file a suit against California. Recently, we know of two deaths in CA prisons and person who confessed to doing it knew about their status. There are probably more cases to be had. If what happened in Michigan happened, then it’s probable that it can happen in any other state.
Yeah New, how about suing to make them use real risk assessments like the bill was supposed to be. It is definitely unconstitutional to project a level of dangerousness without any assessments. Guess I/we will find out for myself when I get the time to file in state court next. And what about all the naysayers that said it could not be done, had to be increments and changing public opinion and all that. No it takes the courts and determined skillful attorneys willing to go the mile.
@ALL MICHIGANDERS,
I went in early today, to register and everything went according to plan/normal the clerk took my ID went to the computer for about 5 minutes,she put my information in, and brought my ID back to me.
She made me my copy and i signed it, she says your all set so i said you don’t need my $50 bucks and she is like oh ya, so i gave it to her she wrote me a receipt for it. I did ask her if she received anything in writing or by email, that we did not have to register anymore and she said NO NOT YET, but we are aware of whats going on, so i just said ok i heard something different ,but after almost 28 years of this crap i will continue to play by the book, she said that is what i would do as well.
So i am not saying that @Chris is lying, maybe he did get that news who really knows i didn’t so i got another 3 months until i register again and hopefully by then everything will be done and over with for the majority of us, lets see what happens on the 13th now.
I registered today at the Sheriff’s department and they did not hear of any stop on the registry. I registered as usual no change for me. I didn’t pay my $50 I will wait until the end of the month. I’ve been on it since 1996.
In case you all didnt notice. We have to register within the first fifteen days of the month. Chris said he went in on the 27th or 28th to register… Sounds fishy to me.
@MidnightMike and @Teres, I just checked the registry and it is in deed up and running, @MidnightMike, I went in toy local police station, and they didn’t receive any notice or anything that verifies anything you or @Chris are saying, unless it’s different going into a State Police Station then a local Police Station, since State Police would get the info first, but again the Clerk where I live took my money and said she hasn’t received anything, written or by mail saying we no longer have to register, or that we will receive something in the mail soon. So not sure where or how your getting different information then. then the rest of us.
@Bobby S. As of 10:20 PM on 3/2/20 the Mi state police registry is down. I have checked it multiple times, it’s down and says under construction.
To ALL MICHIGAN REGISTRANTS
I just checked my email and this was in my email box.
Breaking News: Michigan State Police suspends registration for people whose sex offense occurred before April, 2011!
Mar 2 at 10:22 PM
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MCFJ
I received this email from Tim at the ACLU of Michigan today. I realize it doesn’t answer all the questions that you may have. I expect there will be a follow-up email in a day or two.
Kathie
AS OF LAST WEEK WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THE Michigan State Police (MSP) WILL NO LONGER REGISTER PEOPLE WHO’S CONVICTION PRE DATES APRIL 11, 2011[sic, I believe this should be April 12, Kathie]. I now have a copy of that memorandum (issued February 21,2020) and we have been advised that some local law enforcement will follow this order some have as of yet to get the word. And while it should be noted that local law enforcement may take the position that the MSP does not write laws so the local law enforcement can still enforce this law until it is rewritten. It should be further noted that MSP has said this is not a removal from the SOR at this time it is only a suspension of people prior to April 11,2011 having to register. We recommend that you still try to register and get something in writing from the agency that you came in and were told not to register. It should also be noted that the MSP also talked about people who have warrants for technical violations, and or if law enforcement was in the process of getting warrants for someone for a technical violation unless that violation happen after April 11, 2011, their position is that the prosecutor of the county w[h]ere the technical violation occurred should be contacted. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE MEMORANDUM DOES NOT ADDRESS THE TECHNICAL VIOLATIONS THAT THE COURT ORDERED COULD NOT APPLY TO ANYONE ON THE SOR. The memorandum has some errors in it and the ACLU is working to find out the details.
Respectfully Tim P ACLU of Michigan SOR Specialist
So I wonder instead of us getting money for the lawsuit are we getting off that is my question. Cuz from what I understand no money can fix the ….. ya I forgot the legal term but the suffering I think. I maybe wrong?? the reason I know this is because of my mom she almost has her Dr in criminal justice
Question for anyone who has attempted to register and was told your registration is currently suspended. When you look yourself up on the MSP SORA website, does it say anything about it? Is there a note saying you attempted to verify and was turned away? Just curious.
@Bobby S I went to the state police post. That’s where I always go, less hassle. As soon as I told her what I was there for, she asked when my conviction date was. I told her and she told me that they can’t register me or accept the 50 dollars. That I would receive something in the mail.
Has anyone found a place you can listen to the conference call they had the other day? I’m mostly interested in the hour or so they were going to spend on the Michigan side of things.
Hey @DisgustedinMichigan, i am pre-2011 sora laws.
I was able to register and had to pay the $50 fee at the local police station near my home. The sergant said he hadnt heard of them stopping registering people and that they are still collecting the fee.
Anyone else have any info on why some do not have to register and others like myself still do?
Thanks
Can anyone clarify is the registration. On hold for people CONVICTED before 2011 or COMMITTED there crime in 2011 these two words keeps getting mixed up and make a huge difference In many people’s cases including mine
@hopeful as soon as I told her what I was there for, she asked if my conviction was pre 2011, I told her it was. She took my license and checked to make sure. Then I was told that they received a memo stating that anyone convicted before 2011, that they were not to register or accept the 50 dollars. That it was suspended, she would put a note in my file to show I attempted, and I should be receiving a letter in the mail soon. That’s all I was told.
I saw this today and thought y’all might find it interesting.
https://www.michigancriminallawyers-blog.com/state-of-michigan-halts-police-citizens-database-project/