According to a report by Chelsia Rose Marcius of the New York Times, hundreds of formerly incarcerated women are planning to sue the State of New York for sexual abuse by prison guards under the recently passed Adults Survivors Act.

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The bill allows for civil action to be taken in the case of sexual offenses that otherwise would have passed the statute of limitations. According to the bill, legal action must be taken within a one year window starting on November 24, six months after the bill was passed in May of this year. Additionally, previous actions filed that were dismissed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations can also be filed again within the window.

According to the report, any money for payouts would come from the $220 billion state budget or the $500 million set aside for unforeseen expenses. There's also no cap on the amount of money that could be paid out as a result of a lawsuit.

One New York law firm expects to file at least 750 individual lawsuits, some dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. The firm, Slater Slater and Schulman, has also been involved in sex-abuse suits against the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America.

The report also highlighted a Department of Justice investigation toto Bayview Correctional Facility from the 1980s, which resulted in the agency releasing "a scathing report in 1985 about the abuse." Bayview Correction Facility was later closed down.

Through spokesman Thomas Mailey, the state Corrections Department told the times it has "zero tolerance for sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and unauthorized relationships."

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