Prisoner Files Abuse Lawsuit Against Ill. Department Of Corrections

An Illinois prisoner says he was physically and sexually abused by guards at a state prison, and his attorneys say he’s not alone.

Demetrius Ross filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against the acting director of the Illinois Department of Corrections and more than 200 prison employees.

Sarah Grady is one of his attorneys.

She says Ross was at Illinois River state prison last April when inmates were subjected to a brutal shakedown.

"Prisoners were strip searched in a humiliating way and were forced to touch their genitals and put their fingers in their mouths," she said. "Their heads were slammed into the inmate in front of them."

Grady says the men were forced to march around the prison in a perfect line, and were beaten if they fell out of step.

And the lawsuit claims similar abuse happened at three other state prisons in 2014 - all perpetrated by a special unit known as “Orange Crush.”

An Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman declined to comment for this story