U.S. Justice Dept finds Texas violated the civil rights of youth in detention centers
Updates with a statement from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) -TheU.S. Justice Department found on Thursday that Texas has routinely violated the civil rights of juveniles at five detention facilities by using excessive force, failing to protect them from sexual abuse and discriminating against children with disabilities.
The investigation, which started in October 2021, looked at the treatment of children in custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
The probe found that staffers at the facilities often use physical force against child detainees, including the frequent use of pepper spray as a "first response" to address misbehavior.
The report also said the facilities often lock children up in isolated solitary cells. One child named Abigail was locked up in solitary confinement for eight days in October 2022 before being transferred to a halfway house, the report found.
In addition, the Justice Department's report uncovered a "pervasive atmosphere of sexual abuse, grooming, and lack of staff accountability and training."
"Our findings today reflect the department's commitment to safeguarding children's' rights in the juvenile justice system," said Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, during a virtual press conference.
The five youth facilities reviewed in the Justice Department investigation included Evins Regional Juvenile Center, Gainesville State School, Giddings State School, McLennanCounty State Juvenile Correctional Facility, and Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex.
The JusticeDepartment did not announce any plans to enter into a consent decree with Texas to help resolve the problems.
Clarke told reporters that Justice Department officials met with state officials earlier on Thursday to discus the findings.
"We look forward to immediately turning to the reforms necessary" to address the problems, she said.
In a statement, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department said it is "continually working to improve our operations."
"We have a zero-tolerance policy toward abuse and neglect and have always fully rejected any abusive behaviors at our campuses," the statement said.
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department added that it has already taken steps to improve, including hiring more mental health professionals, improving training and increasing salaries for staff.
According to the new report, problems at Texas juvenile facilities have persisted for years, leading the state to place the Texas Juvenile Justice Department under conservatorship in 2007.
The Justice Department also previously investigated the Evins facility and found the agency failed to protect children from violence there.
Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch
Editing by Frances Kerry and David Gregorio
Últimas noticias
Descargo de responsabilidades: Cada una de las entidades de XM Group proporciona un servicio de solo ejecución y acceso a nuestra plataforma de trading online, permitiendo a una persona ver o usar el contenido disponible en o a través del sitio web, sin intención de cambiarlo ni ampliarlo. Dicho acceso y uso están sujetos en todo momento a: (i) Términos y Condiciones; (ii) Advertencias de riesgo; y (iii) Descargo completo de responsabilidades. Por lo tanto, dicho contenido se proporciona exclusivamente como información general. En particular, por favor tenga en cuenta que, los contenidos de nuestra plataforma de trading online no son ni solicitud ni una oferta para entrar a realizar transacciones en los mercados financieros. Operar en cualquier mercado financiero implica un nivel de riesgo significativo para su capital.
Todo el material publicado en nuestra plataforma de trading online tiene únicamente fines educativos/informativos y no contiene –y no debe considerarse que contenga– asesoramiento ni recomendaciones financieras, tributarias o de inversión, ni un registro de nuestros precios de trading, ni una oferta ni solicitud de transacción con instrumentos financieros ni promociones financieras no solicitadas.
Cualquier contenido de terceros, así como el contenido preparado por XM, como por ejemplo opiniones, noticias, investigaciones, análisis, precios, otras informaciones o enlaces a sitios de terceros que figuran en este sitio web se proporcionan “tal cual”, como comentarios generales del mercado y no constituyen un asesoramiento en materia de inversión. En la medida en que cualquier contenido se interprete como investigación de inversión, usted debe tener en cuenta y aceptar que dicho contenido no fue concebido ni elaborado de acuerdo con los requisitos legales diseñados para promover la independencia en materia de investigación de inversiones y, por tanto, se considera como una comunicación comercial en virtud de las leyes y regulaciones pertinentes. Por favor, asegúrese de haber leído y comprendido nuestro Aviso sobre investigación de inversión no independiente y advertencia de riesgo en relación con la información anterior, al que se puede acceder aquí.
