COOK COUNTY, Ill. (WGN) It’s an ongoing problem at Cook County Jail. Officials say inmates continue to sexually harass female workers, despite repeated attempts to stop and even punish the behavior.
Take Claudia Lanuza. Four years ago, she became a Cook County Correctional Officer.
“It’s something so amazing to have my family be so proud,” she said. “It’s a great career.”
But not one without its challenges.
“This is happening to me,” she said about the harassment. “I have no control over it. And it is not okay.”
WGN Investigates reviewed multiple videos from inside Cook County Jail.
In one, a detainee openly masturbates. In another, a different detainee exposes himself to a female officer.
“We are not talking about someone who is out of touch with reality,” said Jane Gubser, the jail’s executive director. “We are talking about people who are trying to assault our staff and make them feel powerless.”
Lanuza says she’s been a victim of sexual harassment on multiple occasions.
“And, of course, this is something that is completely unwarranted [and] unacceptable,” she said.
Inside the jail, the problem is so severe that repeat offenders are forced to wear special clothing to restrict their movement.
Still, officials said there’s been 127 incidents in the last year and a half.
But holding detainees accountable has proven difficult.
In cases where criminal charges are approved, many times it becomes a misdemeanor, which carry less severe penalties, as the cases wind through the courts.
In 2022, female jail workers filed a class action lawsuit, alleging widespread inmate harassment. That settled for $31 million.
But officials say the behavior continues.
“If we could get convictions on the misdemeanors the third time they do it – it would become a felony,” said Nicholas Scouffas, general counsel for the sheriff’s office. “And they would have to register as a sex offender, and we think that could be a great deterrent.”
Whether that happens remains to be seen. Regardless, Lanuza said she’s not backing down.
“We are going to stand very firm on the fact that this is not okay,” she said.
