Survivors File Lawsuits Following DOJ Findings

Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Swanton, Maryland was identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as having the highest rate of sexual abuse among any juvenile detention facility in the nation. Now, survivors are filing lawsuits under Maryland's Child Victims Act.

The DOJ's Damning Findings

In 2010, federal investigators from the Department of Justice conducted a comprehensive study of sexual abuse in youth detention facilities across the country. The findings about Backbone Mountain were shocking:

• 36.4% of youth inmates reported being sexually victimized while housed at Backbone Mountain
• This rate was three times the national average of 12%
• Backbone Mountain was identified as the worst facility in the nation for sexual abuse

The DOJ report revealed that the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services had woefully failed to protect youth inmates from sexual abuse - including abuse committed by counselors and facility staff members.

About Backbone Mountain Youth Center

Backbone Mountain Youth Center (BMYC) is a secure treatment facility that has operated since 1966. Key facts:

• Location: Swanton, Maryland
• Capacity: Up to 48 male inmates ages 14-18
• Originally named: Backbone Mountain Forestry Camp for Boys (1966)
• Current name since: 1977
• Operator: Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
• Program length: Typically 6-9 months

Youth housed at Backbone Mountain had been ordered by courts to participate in treatment programs. They attended school at the facility year-round.

Decades of Abuse

While the DOJ report documented conditions as of 2010, complaints about sexual abuse at Backbone Mountain date back decades. The facility's remote location in the mountains of western Maryland may have contributed to the isolation that enabled abuse to occur unchecked.

Survivors describe:

• Sexual abuse by guards and staff members
• A culture where reporting abuse was discouraged or punished
• Staff who used their authority to prey on vulnerable youth
• Inadequate supervision and oversight

Maryland's Child Victims Act

In April 2023, Governor Wes Moore signed the Child Victims Act, which went into effect on October 1, 2023. This landmark legislation:

• Eliminates the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits based on child sexual abuse
• Creates an unlimited lookback period allowing survivors to file lawsuits over abuse that occurred at any time
• Applies to both individual abusers and the institutions that failed to protect children

For Backbone Mountain survivors, this means:

• No deadline to file a lawsuit
• Claims can be brought for abuse that occurred decades ago
• Both the abusers and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services can be held liable

Filing a Lawsuit

Survivors of sexual abuse at Backbone Mountain may be able to recover damages including:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future therapy and treatment costs
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income and earning capacity
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Cases can proceed even if:

• The abuser is no longer alive
• The abuser was never criminally charged
• The abuse occurred many years ago

The Broader Pattern

Backbone Mountain is not alone. Sexual abuse has been documented at juvenile detention facilities throughout Maryland, including:

• Thomas J.S. Waxter Children's Center (closed 2022)
• Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center
• Alfred D. Noyes Children's Center
• Cheltenham Youth Facility
• J. DeWeese Carter Center
• Montrose School

The Child Victims Act has opened the door for survivors from all of these facilities to seek justice.

Why These Lawsuits Matter

Civil lawsuits serve multiple purposes:

• Accountability: Holding institutions responsible for their failures
• Compensation: Providing resources for survivors' healing
• Prevention: Creating financial incentives to protect children
• Validation: Acknowledging that the abuse was real and wrong

Getting Help

If you were sexually abused at Backbone Mountain Youth Center or any Maryland juvenile facility:

• The Child Victims Act gives you unlimited time to file a claim
• Legal consultations are typically free for abuse survivors
• Your case is confidential
• You are not alone - hundreds of survivors are coming forward

The DOJ identified Backbone Mountain as the worst facility in America for a reason. Survivors deserve justice.