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On December 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice ("The Department") announced that it had opened a civil investigation into conditions within facilities operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) and Colorado Department of Youth Services (DYS). In their letter to the Governor of Colorado, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated the Department's intent to examine DOC and DYS policies and practices to ensure that DOC inmates and youths in the custody of DYS are being afforded their rights under the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The Department sought to ascertain whether Colorado was "failing to provide adequate medical care and safe and sanitary physical conditions of confinement, and whether Colorado violates the rights of detainees by failing to protect youth in DYS facilities from use of excessive force and failing to provide adequate nutrition to detainees." Further, the Department wrote that it would consider whether Colorado had violated prisoners' and detainees' right to free exercise of religion by housing transgender and cisgender women in the same facilities. The investigation was brought pursuant to the Department's authority under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.
This investigation is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Ben Hefter (1/6/2026)
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Litigation and Investigations By the Government
Key Dates
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.
Religious Freedom Rest. Act/Religious Land Use and Inst. Persons Act (RFRA/RLUIPA)
Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act, 34 U.S.C. § 12601 (previously 42 U.S.C. § 14141)
Other Dockets:
Special Case Type(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Assault/abuse by residents/inmates/students
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Sanitation / living conditions
LGBTQ+: