The U.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."
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.