AUSTIN—The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating conditions at the Texas state schools for the disabled to determine if residents’ civil rights are being violated.

Federal officials informed state officials of the inquiry in a letter to Gov. Rick Perry, noting the agency is “obliged to determine whether there are systemic violations in the conditions” at the schools.

Laura Albrecht, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, said Friday Texas will “cooperate full.  We welcome the scrutiny.” Texas officials learned of the inquiry on Wednesday.

Texas has 13 large institutions, called state schools or centers, in which nearly 5,000 mentally retarded or mentally ill residents live full-time with round-the-clock care.

Federal officials previously have investigated allegations of abuse and neglect at the Denton State School and the Lubbock State School.

The federal inquiry will focus on protection of residents from harm, medical and nursing care, living and treatment services and the placement of residents in the most integrated setting as required under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said the governor had been expecting the broader federal investigation.

“This has been the pattern when they’ve gone into other states,” Castle said. “We’re always interested in how we can improve.”

An AP analysis of state agency records earlier this year found that more than 800 employees the 13 schools have been suspended or fired for abusing patients since fiscal year 2004.

Records showed more than 450 incidents of verified abuse or neglect in fiscal year 2007, a year in which the state investigated nearly 3,500 allegations at state schools. State officials also acknowledged at least three state school residents have died since 2002 in which abuse or neglect by caretakers was a factor.

“We’ll continue to make improvements in our care of those individuals entrusted to us,” Albrecht said.

A state audit in July found the Texas agency also had 10 workers who should have been unemployable because of a history of abuse or neglect.

Those workers were fired when the agency was notified by the auditors. A new background check policy was put in place to continuously review records, not just at the point of hire.

Besides the schools in Lubbock and Denton, the other 11 are located in Abilene, Austin, Brenham, Carlsbad, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lufkin, Mexia, Richmond, Harlingen and San Antonio.