The United States Department of Justice announced that five juvenile detention facilities in Texas, including one in Edinburg, are violating the U.S. Constitution, according to a Thursday news release.

According to the report, children in the facilities are being exposed to sexual abuse, excessive use of pepper spray and other mistreatment, including the prolonged isolation of children in their cells.

The news release said the Justice Department found the Texas Juvenile Justice Department was also in violation of the Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The department's report says the five Texas juvenile centers included Evins Regional Juvenile Center located in Edinburg, Gainesville State School located in Gainesville, Giddings State School located in Giddings, McClennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility located in Mart and Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex, located in Brownwood.

According to the news release, the justice department launched this investigation in October 2021.

RELATED STORY: Former Edinburg juvenile correctional officer accused of sexual contact with a juvenile in custody

"Children are committed to TJJD facilities to receive treatment and rehabilitation so that they may return to their communities as law-abiding, productive citizens," the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said. "Our investigation showed that, far from achieving those objectives, TJJD engaged in a pattern of abuse, deprivation of essential services and disability-related discrimination that seriously harms children and undermines their rehabilitation. State officials have an obligation to keep these children safe, to teach them, to provide them necessary health services and to treat them fairly, without discrimination. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of vulnerable children in juvenile facilities. We look forward to working with state officials to remedy these violations, institute needed reform and improve outcomes for Texas children."

The report continues to say the TJJD violates the IDEA by failing to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities, and they discriminate against children with disabilities in violation of the ADA by not providing reasonable modifications necessary to permit their participation in programming required for release and denying them an equal opportunity to benefit from education.

"These violations of the Constitution and federal law place children at substantial risk of serious physical and psychological harm and impede successful outcomes for children," the Justice Department said in the news release.

In a statement, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department said they are working to improve operations and services at the facilities.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM THE TEXAS JUVENILE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

"We have a zero-tolerance policy toward abuse and neglect and have always fully rejected any abusive behaviors at our campuses," the Texas Juvenile Justice Department said in the statement.