In a March 2026 report, Disability Justice found the Colorado Division of Youth Services (DYS) at a “breaking point.” The four-year study describes an agency strained by shrinking staff, growing violence, and a shortage of alternatives.
Disability Justice visited every DYS facility in the state, scrutinizing conditions and interviewing more than 100 youth and staff.
Key Findings
- More than one-third of the youth interviewed said that staff had slammed them or other youth to the ground, choked them, or struck them with a knee to the stomach or head — all at odds with state policy.
- More than one-third of the youth said that they had been injured, or had seen another youth injured, during a physical restraint.
- More than half of the youth in detention last fall were eligible for release but remained in custody because other placements were not available.
The report recommends a slate of reforms to strengthen oversight and improve DYS operations. But the most important change lies outside the agency: Colorado must reduce its reliance on confinement and increase investment in community programs.
Read the full report: Breaking Point — Conditions in the Colorado Division of Youth Services.