Judge orders masturbating detainees to be handcuffed during Chicago courthouse appearances

Aamer Madhani | USA TODAY

CHICAGO — A federal judge has ordered that detainees with a history of exposing themselves and masturbating in front of courthouse personnel must be handcuffed and wear special jumpsuits during appearances at Chicago-area courthouses.

The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly on Tuesday comes weeks after female public defenders and Cook County Sheriff’s deputies filed three separate federal lawsuits alleging that authorities have not done enough to stop male detainees from exposing themselves and masturbating at courtroom lockups and the Cook County jail.

The sexual misconduct by some detainees, which Sheriff Tom Dart and the head of the Cook County public defenders office, Amy Campanelli, acknowledge has become a frequent problem over the last two years, often occurs as the assistant public defenders and legal aides confer with their indigent clients at the city’s Leighton Criminal Court Building and other suburban courthouses.

As the lawyers try to talk to their clients ahead of court hearings in lockups, other detainees — who have direct view of the public defenders — routinely expose themselves or masturbate, according to a lawsuit filed by six public defenders earlier this month. A group of detainees calling themselves “Savage Life” is behind directing these sexual assaults, according to the lawsuit.

More: Masturbating detainees menace attorneys at Chicago lockups, lawsuit alleges

Kennelly’s injunction orders that starting Wednesday “all detainees with a reported incident of indecent exposure, or masturbation, or sexual misconduct will be handcuffed at all times during transport from the jail to the court.” In addition, the judge ordered the sheriff’s department to outfit detainees with a reported incident with a special jumpsuit that is designed to “thwart indecent exposure and masturbation.”

Dart agreed to the preliminary injunction. The order will be in effect until at least early January, when attorneys are scheduled to be in court for a hearing on the matter.

Campanelli’s aides have pointed blame at the sheriff’s office for the disturbing behavior by some inmates persisting. Dart added deputies to the lockup areas in May to help thwart the problem but eventually wound down the extra presence.

Cara Smith, chief policy adviser to the sheriff, said earlier this month that the public defenders office has rejected other potential efforts to try to deter the assaults — including bolstering punishment for repeat offenders who expose themselves and having detainees make court appearances for some hearings through video conference. The perpetrators of the misconduct are often men who are awaiting trial on serious charges such as murder and aggravated robbery.

Sheriff’s department officials have attempted to use the specially designed jumpsuits in the past, but some problem inmates have attempted to set the uniforms on fire.