Children held in juvenile detention facilities in Texas were pepper-sprayed in the face to the point of vomiting, held in solitary confinement for weeks, and sexually abused by staff members, according to shocking new findings from a Department of Justice investigation.
The feds’ report, published on Thursday, found that five Texas facilities engaged in abuse, discrimination and violated the constitutional rights of minors, following a four-year investigation, which also determined that children were subject to excessive force and failed to receive proper mental health treatment.
Federal investigators began probing the Texas Juvenile Justice Department after advocates complained about the treatment of children who had stayed at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center, Gainesville State School, Giddings State School, McClennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility and Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex.
Children in Texas are sent to those facilities if they have been found to have committed an act that would be considered a crime if they were an adult. Juveniles may also be admitted if they have violated their parole or probation.
In three of the youth facilities, children reported some of the highest rates of sexual victimization in juvenile detention centers across the country in 2019.
In one instance around 2022, a staff member abused a child by kissing them inside a closet. The staff member walked into the closet, turned off the light and waited for the child to join them, the report states. Video of the incident showed the staff member and child “lean forward and kiss each other on the lips,” and then leave the closet.
Footage from the facilities and incident reports shows staff members frequently deployed pepper spray as an intervention tactic without working to first verbally de-escalate confrontations, the report said.
Some staff members carried MK-9 canisters — which contain 13.4 ounces of pepper spray — and are normally used to manage large crowds. Investigators found the canisters were sprayed directly into children’s faces and for extensive periods of time, at times causing them to vomit.
In September 2022, a child was peppersprayed after being placed in handcuffs for jumping on furniture and hitting his head. Another child was pepper-sprayed in a mental health unit at Giddings State School, the report says.
Investigators also uncovered incidents of physical abuse that ultimately resulted in the arrests of some staff members.
In 2023, a former staff member at the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex was charged with assault after footage showed him lift up a child and then slam him to the floor, causing the child to suffer a laceration above his eye and a concussion. The official was later indicted by a grand jury on an official oppression charge in February.
In another instance, a boy at Evins Regional Juvenile Center said a staff member slammed him to the floor and used his full body weight to pin him down while others put him in restraints.
When children are taken to solitary confinement, investigators found that they could spend days or weeks in the unit with almost nothing to do. In solitary, children typically spend 22 to 23 hours a day in their cells, but some kids spend the entire day there. Children are let out of their cells for a 15 minute shower, exercise and sometimes a trip to the medical unit.
In one case, a child spent eight days in solitary confinement before being transferred to a halfway house.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the centers violated the US constitution.
“Children are committed to TJJD facilities to receive treatment and rehabilitation so that they may return to their communities as law-abiding, productive citizens,” Clarke said at a press conference. “Our investigation showed that, far from achieving those objectives, TJJD engaged in a pattern of abuse, deprivation of essential services and disability-related discrimination that seriously harms children and undermines their rehabilitation.”
In an emailed statement to The Independent , the Texas Juvenile Justice Department said: “At TJJD we are continually working to improve our operations and services to the youth in our care and the communities of Texas we protect.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy toward abuse and neglect and have always fully rejected any abusive behaviors at our campuses.”
While the Justice Department recommended that the detention centers work to remedy the issues, the report states that the attorney general can bring a lawsuit if state officials have not satisfied their concerns in 49 days.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org , or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat ’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 . NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
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