ACLU class-action lawsuit urges state of Colorado to release children from jails to community-based settings while awaiting decisions in their juvenile delinquency cases. Kids with disabilities and foster children are particularly vulnerable.

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ACLU National Prison Project

Quinn Phillips ,

ACLU National Prison Project

May 4, 2026

ACLU class-action lawsuit urges state of Colorado to release children from jails to community-based settings while awaiting decisions in their juvenile delinquency cases. Kids with disabilities and foster children are particularly vulnerable.

*Editor's Note: This photo was originally published by Disability Law Colorado in its recent report: Breaking Point: Conditions in the Colorado Division of Youth Services (2021–2025)

Tony S. is 12 years old and has been locked up for over six months, even though a Colorado judge in his delinquency case said he should be released.…