The Commission has recognized the importance of gender differences in the criminal justice system, and as a result, has established a Women’s Advisory Committee to explore policies and practices around gender-specific issues for women. Being that males occupy the majority of both the staff and detainee/offender population in jails across the nation, not much programming has been operational specific to female populations. Yet, evidence-based literature recognizes that undisputable behavioral and social differences exist between the gender populations. In an effort to reduce crimes and recidivism among females in jail, the Women’s Committee is tasked with addressing the needs of this population and devising strategies to deliver reentry services based on those needs. The Women’s committee brings together stakeholders that work with special female populations on reentry services, some of who include: the Empowerment program and other community-based organizations that provide services to incarcerated women; Women’s correctional facilities, including community corrections and the Denver County Jail; Providers in the Women’s Mental Health Transition Unit in the Denver County Jail; and the Community Reentry Project in Denver.
Some of the current work of the Committee includes discussions of a gender-specific training for both uniform and non-uniform staff who work with justice-involved women, the establishment and maintenance of specialized women's units in the jail including the Women's
Mental Health Transition Unit and, more recently, the Women's
RISE Unit--which is anticipated to open in the next few months.