'A new era': Larimer County Community Justice Alternatives opens all-women facility

Larimer County Community Justice Alternative opened its women's residential facility Wednesday, hailed by county staff and elected officials as a demonstration of the county's commitment to emphasizing rehabilitation and alternatives to traditional incarceration.

The 170-bed, all-female facility will house women being supervised through the community corrections and alternative sentencing programs, with 36 beds dedicated to recovery programs. Women currently being supervised in these programs moved into the new facility Wednesday afternoon. During a Wednesday morning ceremony, elected officials and city staff spoke about the importance of the new facility before touring the building.

The facility will focus on gender-responsive and trauma-informed care, "creating a safe and supportive community for women that fosters the courage to change," Larimer County Community Justice Alternatives Director Emily Humphrey said.

"Courage to change" is painted on the wall above the check-in desk and will likely be the first thing many see when they walk into the building. Humphrey said the phrase encourages the women who are supervised in these programs to embrace new opportunities and believe in themselves, and also challenges the staff who work there to think outside the box and see the women who are going through these programs through a different lens.

Humphrey said these programs are about “holding those under our supervision accountable for their crime, but providing them the programming and resources to develop the skills and opportunities that will reduce recidivism so that they may reintegrate back into our community — their community — in the most successful way possible.”

Commissioner John Kefalas said the county's focus on alternative sentencing programs provides valuable tools for people in the criminal justice system, supporting them through rehabilitation and reintegration while alleviating stress on the court system and preventing jail overcrowding.

Over the past five years, Kefalas said the county's alternative sentencing programs have saved 958,548 jail bed days. The new women's facility will save the county 729,000 jail bed days each year, according to a prior news release.

“By investing in alternative sentencing programs, we are investing in the fabric of our community, creating a more robust, stable and compassionate society,” Kefalas said.

Kefalas applauded the county's focus on gender-responsive and trauma-informed care in this new facility, citing statistics that say 96% of women in jail diversion programs reported experiencing trauma and 74% reported experiencing ongoing trauma.

"We know that trauma is a pathway into the justice system," Kefalas said, adding that substance use often becomes a coping mechanism for people dealing with trauma.

The $23.5 million facility expansion added 50,000 square feet, more than doubling the size of the facility and allowing the county to expand alternative sentencing and treatment programs, including the launch of a women’s STIRT program (Strategic Individualized Remediation Treatment). The county already has a men’s STIRT program, which is an intensive 21-day residential treatment program, and officials hope the women’s program can begin later this summer.

The opening of this facility is "a significant milestone in our county's justice system," and an example of the county's dedication to creating “effective alternatives to traditional incarceration, focusing on rehabilitation, reintegration and reducing recidivism rates," Larimer County commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally said during Wednesday's ceremony.

Commissioner Kristin Stephens said the county's alternative sentencing programs have evolved over the years, and "we have diligently focused on bringing in programs and education that caters specifically to the unique needs of the populations that we serve."

A facility focused on gender-responsive and trauma-informed care — "that acts as a place of healing for valuable members of our community" — demonstrates "a new era of specialized care for justice-involved women.”

Women involved in the criminal justice system have likely been through trauma, and Stephens said “we know that conducting programming with the universal assumption of trauma is critical to justice systems that don’t re-traumatize.”

Women currently sentenced to alternative sentencing or community corrections attended Wednesday’s facility grand opening. Stephens said she asked the women if they were excited to move in, and one woman replied, “We’ve been packed for two days.”

“We are excited to open this facility to you, and we are grateful for the fact that you’re willing to work on yourselves and reintegrate into society,” Stephens said. “You see that there’s a huge crowd here. Everybody in this crowd is pulling for you and wants you to succeed.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Larimer County Community Justice Alternatives opens all-women facility