The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into possible constitutional violations of Colorado prisoners through inadequate treatment and transgender housing policy, according to a release by the agency on Monday. The department’s letter of notice to Gov. Jared Polis identified hous ing “biological males” in female units in violation of religious freedom, inadequate medical care, excessive force and inadequate nutrition in youth facilities as matters it will investigate. The Department of Corrections can be investigated through the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, according to the release. The Department of Justice will also investigate under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, both signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. “The Constitution protects every American, whether they are a young person confined in a juvenile facility or an elderly person confined to a prison,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated in the release. “We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no one is subject to unconstitutional mistreatment when held in state custody.” If violations are found, the federal government will inform the state and attempt to remedy any issues, according to the letter to Polis signed by Dhillon from the department’s civil rights division. Many years of “good faith efforts” between the government and affected jurisdictions have “routinely” allowed for claims to be resolved without contested litigation. Ongoing lawsuits through the civil rights division this year have been leveraged lawsuits against numerous states, including 14 for allegedly failing to provide voter rolls. The division also secured six settlement agreements with academic institutions over various issues under the second Trump administration. The action taken by the Department of Justice on Monday to investigate aspects of an entire state’s prison system appears to be the first of its kind in 2025. President Donald Trump has not been shy about expressing his ongoing frustration with Colorado. On Wednesday, Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social, called Polis a “sleazebag” who allowed Colorado to “go to hell” after declining to arrange the release of former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters. Peters was convicted of allowing unauthorized access to the county’s election system in 2024 and sentenced to nine years in state prison. A federal judge rejected a petition to release her from incarceration pending the resolution of her criminal appeal, The Gazette reported earlier on Monday. ...read more read less