As Colorado's Boulder County Jail (BCJ) continues to see positive results with its inmate education program, known as Productive Day, it is now focusing on specific aspects of its curriculum to become more gender responsive. By participating in Productive Day, inmates focus on education, industry skills and life skills one day a month. BCJ hopes to enhance its life skills portion by better addressing the unique needs of both male and female inmates.

“We want to reach these inmates the best way we can, not just to ensure they get an education in Life Skills, but also to reduce recidivism. If female inmates require an extra class, we need to do what we can to provide that.” says Barbara Huff, a Productive Day Officer and teacher.

Researchers have been very interested in the difference in the way men and women learn. While some studies have shown that men need a hands-on approach to learning, BCJ officials have realized women need a special focus on relationships.

“Women have a different attitude in terms of their relationships, and they have a different path to crime. They often end up in jail because of things like substance abuse or unhealthy relationships,” says Huff, who has taught both men and women. “Women are the fastest rising population at our jail. They require extra attention to relationships and coping skills, and we need to address those things before they return to the community.”

Deciphering gender differences

To discover the different between male and female offenders, Huff surveyed the women inmates.  

“We found that 66 percent of our female population had used methamphetamines, and 45 percent of these females did not have a high school education or a GED equivalent,” says Huff. “Beyond that, 67 percent of our female population were unemployed at the time of their arrest.”

Huff's survey also found that 41 percent of BCJ's women had been sexually abused as a child.

“Women have a different focus than men,” says Huff. “They are often thinking about their relationships, about how they are going to support a child. Many of these women are in survivor mode. They are focused on doing anything they can just to get by. Most women put themselves last. They don't focus on their health issues. Often times, this results in substance abuse and self-medication.”

Teaching to succeed after release

While the male population benefits from classes like English as a Second Language,  Huff realized the women needed something different. Their classes needed to focus on issues such as making sound decisions, making positive use of leisure time, and knowing how to access community substance abuse centers. Huff found out that females can  also benefit from a program that deals with abusive relationships.

“Our women stayed in abusive relationships because they thought it was the best thing for their children,” she says. “It sounds counterproductive, but they were thinking in terms of monetary support. So we have to get them to ask themselves: If you love your children, why do you stay in this relationship? Why do you go back?”

Huff hopes that by helping the female inmates evaluate their personal choices, the effects those choices have on relationships and employment, through the life skills classes, they will be able to return to their communities with new coping skills. BCJ often provides therapists to ensure that the female prisoners are getting the mental and emotional help they need before being released.

“The reality is that women learn differently from men,” Huff says, “and in order to make sure they learn from their time in prison, we have to adjust our programs to address their issues.”

By responding to how its inmates learn differently, the BCJ will be able to successfully tackle a variety of issues for female offendersand continue to expand its gender responsive education in the most productive way possible.