Deon Hampton

A 2020 jury trial date has been set for a transgender inmate suing Illinois Department of Corrections officials for alleged abuses.

26-year-old Deon “Strawberry” Hampton’s suit against Pinckneyville Correctional Center officials will be heard March 16, 2020, in East St. Louis. The lawsuit is one of two Hampton filed.

Another lawsuit against members of the Menard Correctional Center also alleging abuses was resolved earlier this month. Hampton has recounted multiple beatings and sexual abuse by correctional officers. The Menard case’s settlement included moving her from a male prison to a facility that already houses transgender inmates.

Hampton’s attorney says the Pinckneyville case’s extended timeline is not uncommon in civil rights cases.

Hampton is serving a 10-year burglary sentence.