The “culture of violence” at the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections is not only unsafe for teens and staff, but is further torment to youths who suffered abuse and neglect before they were sent behind bars, says the February 2017 report from the Colorado Child Safety Coalition that calls for immediate reforms.
The coalition, which included ACLU Colorado, Disability Law Colorado, the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender and the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center, suggested Colorado look toward Missouri’s policies, considered the “gold standard” for rehabilitating incarcerated youth.