Pueblo detention facility changes food policies following outcry from concerned families

Colorado corrections agents have changed policies on the purchase of food inside the Youthful Offender System detention center in Pueblo following the hospitalization of one of its residents and an outcry of concern from worried families A Department of Corrections spokesperson on Thursday approved that all young people housed in the detention center will be able to purchase food from the canteen Previous framework permitted purchases only by those who had achieved certain privilege levels based on good behavior The change comes just days after The Denver Post broadcasted that a -year-old housed at the facility was hospitalized last week after going into full renal failure Doctors reported him it was due to malnutrition his family stated Ten families also explained The Post that their children have lost extreme amounts of weight over the past minimal months due to a lack of sufficient food Numerous revealed their sons losing to pounds in a matter of weeks as they complained about small portion sizes Conditions in the detention center which houses up to teenage and young adult offenders convicted of violent offenses have also drawn the attention of state lawmakers Two legislators on Wednesday visited the facility meeting with a unit of corrections functionaries as well as individuals serving sentences Sen Nick Hinrichsen a Pueblo Democrat whose district includes the facility called The Post s findings appalling adding that he would be joining several colleagues in an inquiry to demand answers for how these decisions were made and immediate initiatives to ensure this doesn t happen again Everybody in the justice system and especially juveniles deserves adequate nutrition Hinrichsen wrote in a declaration What s revealed is unacceptable third-world conditions He and Rep Javier Mabrey a Denver Democrat on Wednesday peppered the DOC personnel with questions about the caloric guidelines at the facility Leaders he disclosed continued to contend that they reduced calorie intake for those housed there to align with federal guidelines Leadership also noted that the average age of inmates had increased over the past limited years In response to inquiries from state Sen Judy Amabile last week a corrections official acknowledged that YOS reduced caloric intake because the average body mass index of YOS offenders was higher than was considered healthy within the age group The DOC did not make these same insists when answering questions from The Post Hinrichsen stated he didn t see anyone who was visibly overweight during his visit this week an observation he mentioned that was not normal given the average population in the United States He noted that he didn t see anyone who was visibly malnourished but he did see people who looked on the skinnier side Related Articles Young people held at Pueblo detention facility aren t getting enough food parents allege Bizarre face-licking stabbing case involving Bachelor contestant lands Netflix reality star in Colorado prison Westminster DMV worker killed in random carjacking police say Suspect who fatally stabbed Denver man with -foot sword pleads guilty to murder Denver man gets four years in Youthful Offender System for stabbing his uncle to death The changes to canteen privileges were the only actionable efforts DOC authorities stated to the lawmakers Hinrichsen mentioned Still one individual serving time there noted to him that roughly of inmates don t have sufficient balances in their canteen accounts to purchase food A larger group of legislators plans to tour the facility on Tuesday Hinrichsen reported Emmanuel Porter-Taylor the -year-old who suffered renal failure last week is out of the hospital and is at this time being housed at the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center his family mentioned Doctors communicated him his evaluation was malnutrition stress and high blood pressure the family disclosed He lost pounds over six weeks Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter