Texas lockups violate minors’ constitutional rights, says US justice department

Department of Justice report found pattern of sexual abuse and mistreatment in the state's juvenile justice facilities

Youth lockups in Texas remain beset by sexual abuse, excessive use of pepper spray and other mistreatment including the prolonged isolation of children in their cells, the justice department has said in a scathing new report that accused the state of violating the constitutional rights of hundreds of minors in custody.

The report comes three years after a federal investigation began into alleged widespread abuse and harsh practices within the Texas juvenile justice department, which incarcerates hundreds of young people every year.