Survivors of sexual abuse at the women-only Albion Correctional Facility now have a one-year window to file sex abuse lawsuits regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. The New York Adult Survivor’s Act allows previously time-barred claims to be filed between November 24, 2022 and November 24, 2023.
Albion Correctional is one of several New York prisons to come under scrutiny for years of unchecked abuse and misconduct. It has been implicated in criminal cases involving corrections officers convicted of rape and sexual crimes and was named in a federal lawsuit that accuses the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision of failing to protect female inmates from abuse by male staff.
Leading the Fight for Survivors Abused in NY Prisons
Levy Konigsberg is an award-winning trial practice that’s recovered over $3 billion for clients. We have championed the rights of survivors in sexual abuse claims across the country, including high-profile cases against public and private school systems, the Catholic Church, and the Boy Scouts of America.
Thanks to a newly passed New York law, we’re now representing a growing number of survivors who were abused at Albion Correctional Facility and other NY State Women’s prisons – including those who were abused years or decades ago. If you have a potential case, we want to help.
Levy Konigsberg is handling claims from former inmates sexually abused at Albion Correctional Facility. Call (800) 315-3806 or contact us online for a FREE consultation.
History of Sexual Abuse at Albion Correctional Facility
Albion Correctional Facility is a medium-security women’s prison operated by the NY State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The facility and several of its corrections officers have faced numerous complaints of misconduct involving female inmates and have been implicated in several civil and criminal cases.
On June 22 and 23, 2022, the Correctional Association of New York (CANY) conducted a monitoring visit to Albion Correctional Facility, a medium-security women’s prison in Albion, NY. According to the report, several individuals reported experiences of sexual abuse, including instances of officers attempting to rape incarcerated individuals at night by shining their flashlights into cubicles and turning off their body cameras.
More than 43% of the 85 women interviewed said they had experienced or witnessed verbal and physical abuse, including sexual and racial harassment, by both staff and correction officers. Inmates reported seeing handcuffed prisoners being punched and multiple officers entering cells to commit assaults. One respondent said she was treated “less than an animal.” Other inmates said the mess hall was an exceptionally abusive environment.
Additionally, 28.6% of those respondents reported filing official reports in response to sexual assault or abuse at the facility, however, several individuals described a lack of response and stated that in some cases, staff accused of misconduct had not been removed from their positions of authority.
Other recent examples include:
- In 2020, Albion was one of several NY prisons named in a sweeping federal lawsuit that accused the DOCCS of failing to protect against abuse and fostering a culture in which male staff used their power to keep survivors silent.
- In August 2020, Albion corrections officer James W. Castonguay pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sex act against two female inmates.
- In February 2020, Albion corrections officer David Stupnick was sentenced to six months in jail, 10 years of probation, and lifetime sex offender registration for his sexual involvement with two inmates.
- In 2019, Albion corrections officer Adam Brokaw was sentenced to jail and probation after pleading guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse for a sexual act involving a victim who was unable to give consent. The incident occurred during a party at a home in Batavia.
- In 2015, a New York Court of Claims awarded a female inmate raped by an Albion guard in 2007 $605,750 in damages after finding that the state knew of the guard’s “propensity to pursue unauthorized relationships with inmates and yet left him in the position to continue to pursue the same." The plaintiff was also awarded $500,000 by a federal court. The officer, Donald Lasker Jr., pleaded guilty to rape and was sentenced to a two-month intermittent jail sentence.
New York law states that prisoners cannot consent to sexual acts with any employee or volunteer who provides inmate services. This means that is illegal for a corrections officer or staff to have any sexual contact with an inmate.
Nevertheless, records reveal numerous complaints and cases involving sexual assault, harassment, and rape by prison staff at Albion Correctional Facility and other NY women’s prisons dating back decades. This includes numerous substantiated incidents of abuse and harassment by staff, as well as several cases of inmates being impregnated by guards.
How the Adult Survivors Act Helps Albion Correctional Abuse Victims
New York prisons have a troubled history with female inmate sex abuse. And while some officers are held to account, many evade justice due to systemic failures and a toxic culture of coercion and cover-ups that keep survivors silent. However, that’s changing thanks to the New York Adult Survivors Act.
The Adult Survivors Act is a state law passed in 2022 that empowers sexual abuse victims to file suit regardless of when their abuse occurred. Most notably, the ASA:
- Applies to survivors of sexual offenses that occurred when they were over the age of 18.
- Allows survivors to sue abusers and responsible institutions accused of failing to protect them.
- Creates a one-year lookback window for survivors to file suit, regardless of when abuse occurred.
The one-year lookback window will be open from November 24, 2022 through November 24, 2023. If you were abused at Albion Correctional Facility or another NY state prison, this means that you will be able to file suit during this period even if the abuse occurred years or decades ago and even if your claim would typically be barred by the statute of limitations.
Call For a FREE Consultation: (800) 315-3806
New York has taken decisive steps in the fight against sexual assault, which is why many survivors and former inmates are courageously stepping forward to pursue the justice they deserve.
Our team at Levy Konigsberg is proud to be a part of this fight. As leaders in sex abuse litigation, we represent clients who were abused at various New York State prisons – including Albion Correctional Facility, Bayview Correctional Facility, and more.
If you have questions about your rights under the ASA and how we can guide you through your legal journey, please contact us. We offer FREE and confidential consultations, charge nothing up front, and only collect a fee if we win.
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