Texas institutions for people with disabilities are so rife with neglect and mistreatment that the U.S. Department of Justice is threatening to sue the state.

In a letter to Gov. Rick Perry federal officials claim that Texas facilities are violating the constitutional rights of residents. Specifically, a report from the Justice Department says the state’s institutions provide substandard medical care to residents, fail to ensure the safety of residents, have an unacceptably high number of residents dying of preventable causes and have a track record of employees who abused residents, among other issues. The report suggests that staffing issues are at the heart of the problems, reports The Dallas Morning News. To read more click here.

Texas currently has 13 institutions with more than 4,500 residents, the highest number of any state, reports the Associated Press. To read more click here.

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