Feds: Texas juvenile justice a failure.

Justice Department: Texas Juvenile Detention Centers Violate Children's Rights

A nearly *three-year federal investigation* into Texas juvenile detention centers found a pattern of abuse and violations of kids' constitutional and civil rights.

• A Justice Department report released Thursday details violations of Eighth & 14th Amendment rights, as well as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act & Americans with Disabilities Act.
• This follows decades of uncovered abuses, with a 2019 report showing 20% of kids at 2 centers reported sexual abuse.
• Investigators found "excessive force, prolonged isolation, failure to prevent sexual abuse, & inadequate mental health services."
• Texas Juvenile Justice Department blames "prolonged staffing crisis," but advocates hope for "a turning point."
• Detailing a culture of abuse, the report reveals assaults, use of pepper spray, and solitary confinement leading to suicidal ideation.
• With 40% of disabled kids reading below a third-grade level, the report exposes lacking educational resources & lack of psychological services.
• US Attorney Hamdani says: "conditions are unacceptable...my office hopes to provide protections to the vulnerable & help right wrongs."

Background

Texas' juvenile justice system has a dark history, with newspaper exposés uncovering abuses leading to a governor-ordered overhaul. Despite Texas Rangers investigations and employee arrests, the federal report finds the state ignored ongoing abuse.