Bound & Broken: How DYC’s Culture of Violence is Hurting Kids and What to Do About It

This policy report features interviews of young people who have been incarcerated in youth facilities in Colorado and details the harmful conditions and culture in these programs. From the Executive Summary: “Despite a mission of rehabilitation rather than punishment, the culture of the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections (DYC) is plagued by punitive practices that cause physical and emotional harm to the young people in its care. DYC’s culture of violence makes facilities unsafe for both children and staff and deters rehabilitation. This report draws on interviews with 21
young people who are or have been incarcerated in eleven of DYC’s thirteen state-owned facilities, as well as a review of over 1,000 pages of internal DYC documents, videos and medical reports regarding incidents that occurred between 2013 and 2016. The report concludes that DYC staff
used physical pain, isolation and verbal degradation against vulnerable young people, most of whom suffer from past abuse and mental illness. Knee strikes, painful pressure points and the WRAP – a full body straitjacket – are common currency in DYC’s culture.”