A 5-year-old autistic child in detention hasn’t had a bowel movement in 11 days. His belly is swollen and he’s not eating.

Severe constipation in children can lead to serious complications and sometimes requires hospitalization for a medical clean-out.

What’s most alarming is that it’s not clear he’s being evaluated by a pediatrician. Children are not tiny adults. They have different physiology and require pediatric expertise.

CoreCivic — the for-profit company that runs this facility — says no child is denied or delayed medical care.

But when a 5-year-old autistic child goes 11 days without a bowel movement while his abdomen becomes distended and he stops eating, that statement is impossible to take seriously.

This looks like another case of medical neglect