Levy Konigsberg has officially taken legal action against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYS DOCCS) for failing to prevent widespread sexual abuse at Albion Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Our sexual abuse litigation team, which includes Attorney-Partner Anna Kull, has been investigating sex abuse reports of former Albion Correctional Facility inmates. Using the New York Adult Survivors Act (ASA), we recently filed 20 Albion Correctional Facility sexual abuse lawsuits, and we expect at least another 50 lawsuits to be filed soon. The lookback window created by the ASA closes on November 24, 2023, so we are preparing to get as many lawsuits as possible moving forward before then.
Lawsuits Against NYS DOCCS
New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is the primary defendant in each of the 20 Albion Correctional Facility sexual abuse lawsuits that Levy Konigsberg has filed so far. We are expected to file at least 50 more cases against Albion soon. In the complaints, we argue that NYS DOCCS failed to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and dignity of the women incarcerated at Albion. Even with evidence of unchecked sexual abuse at the prison adding up, essentially nothing was done to stop it, penalize offenders, and/or protect inmates.
In one survey, close to half of the female inmates at Albion reported experiencing or witnessing physical and sexual abuse carried out by staff and officers, such as:
- Sexual assault
- Sexual assault from several assailants
- Sexual harassment
- Concealment of attacks (turning off body cameras)
- Intimidating inmates to never speak up about sexual abuse
- Stalking or leering
Legal action has been pursued against NYS DOCCS for the culture of sexual violence created at Albion before. For example, in 2015, the New York Court of Claims awarded more than $600,000 in damages to a female inmate who was sexually abused by a guard; in this case, it was successfully argued that the State knew or reasonably should have known about the sexual abuse yet did not stop it. Several Albion correctional officers have also pled guilty or were found guilty of various sex crimes in recent years, too.
What is unique about the claims that Levy Konigsberg’s sexual abuse litigation team has recently filed and expects to file soon is that they utilize the New York Adult Survivors Act. Until November 24, 2023, this act allows people who survived sexual abuse as an adult to file a civil claim, regardless of when the sexual abuse occurred. By pursuing action in civil court, the former inmates of Albion can seek justice and compensation that otherwise would have been barred forever.
Levy Konigsberg Attorney Kull Leads the Way
Attorney-Partner Anna Kull of Levy Konigsberg is proudly spearheading litigation against the City and State of New York for its failure to prevent rampant sexual abuse at several of its correctional facilities, mostly all-female prisons, such as Bayview Correctional Facility, Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, and Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility. Her deliberate focus on these difficult and sensitive lawsuits has made her a nationally recognized name in sexual abuse litigation, especially for underserved or underrepresented parties like former inmates.
Two recent recognitions earned by Attorney Kull for her work include:
- New York Daily News cover story: Attorney Anna Kull was featured in a New York Daily News cover story about the long and harrowing history of sexual abuse at Bayview Correctional Facility and how she is representing several former inmates.
- Brut Media short documentary: Brut Media released a short film documentary – A Chance for Justice: Life After Abuse in Prison – that shares the story of several New York State Correctional Facility inmates and how Attorney Kull is leading the way in litigation against the State.
With her practice history and the entire Levy Konigsberg team at her side, Attorney Anna Kull is now taking action for the sexual abuse at Albion Correctional Facility. Twenty women have been able to file a claim and at least 50 more are expected to file soon. Do you think that you could have a claim against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for sexual abuse at Albion? Don’t miss your opportunity to join the dozens of other former inmates who are using the New York Adult Survivors Act to demand justice.
“The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) has repeatedly allowed the rights of female inmates to be violated by cultivating a culture in which sexual abuse by prison guards and staff persisted for decades. The rising number of rapes and sexual assaults implicating correctional officers from Albion Correctional Facility is staggering. Victims of prison sex abuse are often intimidated into silence because policies to investigate and discipline wrongdoers are not enforced. It’s time for this culture of secrecy and silence to end, allowing justice for those who have suffered immeasurable harm by this broken system which has for far too long protected abusers more than the abused.” – Attorney, Anna Kull
Call (800) 315-3806 and connect with Levy Konigsberg and our sexual abuse litigation team. All initial consultations are FREE and confidential.
