Articles Posted in Sex Abuse

Countless juvenile inmates at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility in San Diego may have been victims of sexual abuse due to the negligence of the San Diego County Probation Department. On this page, we will explain how victims of sexual abuse at East Mesa Juvenile Detention Center can file civil lawsuits and get financial settlements.

Camp Barrett was a juvenile detention facility operated by the San Diego County Probation Department and located in Alpine, California. It was meant to serve as a rehabilitation program for boys placed in custody by the juvenile court system—many of whom were minors with no history of violence. But for some of the youth sent there, Camp Barrett became a site of profound trauma.

Survivors have come forward with allegations that staff members—including sworn officers—sexually abused boys in their custody, taking advantage of the facility’s isolation and lack of oversight. The reports describe a system that did not simply overlook warning signs but created the conditions that allowed abuse to occur. Officers had access to children in private spaces, complaints were ignored or never documented, and leadership failed to act despite indications of misconduct.

Instead of safety and rehabilitation, these boys were met with exploitation. And the very institution responsible for their care—the San Diego County Probation Department—now faces serious questions about how this abuse was allowed to continue unchecked for years.

The page will look at sex abuse lawsuits involving juvenile inmates at Santa Maria Juvenile Detention Center, officially named the Susan J. Gionfriddo Juvenile Justice Center. Santa Maria Juvenile Hall is a detention facility that houses male and female juvenile offenders, many of whom have been subjected to sexual abuse and/or assault. Juveniles who were sexually abused or assaulted by staff members at Santa Maria Juvenile Hall can file a civil lawsuit and get financial settlements.

If you have a potential sex abuse lawsuit involving Santa Maria Juvenile Detention Center, call our California sex abuse lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.

About Santa Maria Juvenile Detention Center

The Polinsky Children’s Center, a temporary shelter for children in San Diego County, is now at the center of over 100 lawsuits alleging decades of sexual abuse. The facility, which was meant to provide a safe haven for children removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse, is now accused of failing to protect them from horrific mistreatment within its own walls.

Survivors who lived at the facility between 1994 and 2020 have come forward with allegations that staff members, older residents, and others repeatedly sexually abused them while they were in custody. The lawsuits describe a range of abuse, from molestation and groping to violent sexual assault. Many survivors say that their reports were ignored or dismissed by those in charge, and some claim they were threatened with further abuse if they spoke up.

The lawsuits argue that the County of San Diego, which operates the facility, failed in its responsibility to protect the children in its care. Allegations include the failure to conduct thorough background checks on employees, a lack of supervision that allowed abuse to go unchecked, and a culture of silence that discouraged victims from coming forward. In some cases, survivors claim that known abusers continued working at the facility even after concerns were raised about their behavior.