Colorado Locks Up Kids Who Should Be Home, Leaving Them in Despair and Isolation

Colorado’s juvenile detention centers are locking up kids who should be free — and the consequences are devastating. Tony S., a 12-year-old with autism and cognitive disabilities, has been confined for over six months even though a judge ordered his release. He is just one of hundreds of children trapped in these facilities, many of whom have court rulings directing that they be placed in foster care or community settings with supportive services instead.

A class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU and allied organizations reveals a grim reality: Colorado systematically fails to find appropriate placements, leaving children stuck in jail-like conditions that violate their constitutional and civil rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fourteenth Amendment protect these kids from unnecessary detention, yet the state ignores these mandates.

The Division of Youth Services (DYS) Residential Youth Center looks more like an adult prison than a place for children. Barbed wire surrounds the campus. Bedrooms are cell-like, outfitted with a bed, plastic chair, and a desk, with lights left on all night for surveillance. Kids are handcuffed when they leave the facility, even for court appearances. Education is minimal and undifferentiated for ages 12 to 17, and children endure strip searches and violent restraints.

Inside, kids report overwhelming despair, loneliness, and boredom. One 12-year-old spent spring break with no classes and nothing to do but teach himself card shuffling. These conditions inflict long-term damage physically, mentally, and socially. Research shows detention disrupts education, fractures relationships, and increases the risk that children remain entangled in the justice system.

Colorado officials have known about these harms for years and have repeatedly acknowledged the need to release children promptly to community-based care — yet the problem persists. This is not unique to Colorado. Across the country, states imprison children simply because it is easier than investing in foster homes and supportive services. Recent congressional reports and proposed legislation in states like Tennessee highlight this systemic abuse.

Children belong in communities, not cages. They should be in school, with family, or playing with friends — not locked behind bars under constant surveillance. This lawsuit sends a clear message: states must stop treating vulnerable children as disposable and instead invest in humane, lawful alternatives that respect their rights and dignity. Colorado must act now before more children suffer behind locked doors.