DENVER — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a sweeping investigation into alleged violations against inmates across dozens of Colorado correctional facilities, according to a DOJ letter sent to Governor Jared Polis on Monday.

In the letter, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said the department is examining the 21 state prisons operated by the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) and the 12 residential youth centers run by Colorado's Department of Human Services' Department of Youth Services (DYS).

The DOJ's investigation will focus on whether there is a pattern of constitutional rights violations, such as inadequate medical care, unsafe and unsanitary conditions, and excessive force against juveniles. It will also examine if Colorado is violating inmates' religious rights by

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